Guitar Player 03 2024

G U I TA R P L AY E R .
C O M GOLD RUSH THE $8,500 PAISLEY TELE TRIBUTE
JOE PASS
STEVE MILLER
PETE ANDERSON
CHARLIE STARR
STEVE LYNCH
ROBIN TROWER
LUCA STRICAGNOLI
JARED JAMES NICHOLS
I N T R O | FROM THE EDITOR
Vol. 58 No. 3 MARCH 2024
guitarplayer.com
THE YEAR THAT WAS... AND WILL BE FOLLOW US

twitter.com/guitarplayernow
facebook.com/guitarplayermag
I S EE T H IS page as a place to introduce the issue you hold and tell you something CONTENT
about how it came together. That’s my usual approach, but this month, while I sit here EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Christopher Scapelliti,
chris.scapelliti@futurenet.com
RQWKHÀUVWZHHNRIDQHZ\HDU,·GOLNHWRVKDUHDIHZWKLQJVWKDWDUHRQP\PLQG SENIOR EDITOR Art Thompson,
about Guitar Player’s past year and the one that is to come. arthur.thompson@futurenet.com
ART EDITOR Philip Cheesbrough,
philip.cheesbrough@futurenet.com
We Had a Great Year: $OOWKLQJVFRQVLGHUHGZDVWHUULÀFIRUGuitar Player. PRODUCTION EDITOR Jem Roberts,
Subscriptions, which have been especially strong in recent years, continued to grow jem.roberts@futurenet.com
LOS ANGELES EDITOR Jude Gold,
DQG,·PKDSS\WRVD\ZH·UHKHDULQJIHZHUFRPSODLQWVDERXWPLVVHGLVVXHVGXSOLFDWHG judegold@gmail.com
VXEVFULSWLRQVDQGWKHOLNH 0RVWHQFRXUDJLQJRXUQHZVVWDQGVDOHVUHPDLQHGQHDUO\ FRETS EDITOR Jimmy Leslie,

j@jimmyleslie.com
ÁDWLQD\HDUZKHQRYHUDOO86PDJD]LQHVDOHVZHUHGRZQSHUFHQWRQDYHUDJH7KHUH LESSONS EDITOR Jimmy Brown,
DUHPDQ\IDFWRUVWKDWDFFRXQWIRURXUVWUHQJWKEXWHDVLO\WKHPRVWLPSRUWDQWRQHLV jimmy.brown@futurenet.com
SENIOR IMAGE MANIPULATION TECHNICIAN
RXUFKRLFHRIFRYHUDUWLVWVZKRDUHWKHPDLQGUDZDWQHZVVWDQG Gary Stuckey
2QWKDWQRWH,NQRZVRPHRI\RXODPHQWWKDW\RXUIDYRULWHDUWLVWVKDYHQRWEHHQ CONSULTING EDITORS Matt Blackett,
IHDWXUHGRQWKHFRYHULQ\HDUVLIHYHU,DVVXUH\RXZHUHJDUGDOOWKHDUWLVWVZHIHDWXUH Jim Campilongo, Dave Hunter, Michael Ross
HTXDOO\2XUJRDOLVWRJLYH\RXDPDJD]LQHHDFKPRQWKWKDWVDWLVÀHVDUDQJHRIPXVLFDO ADVERTISING SALES

tastes and interests, so please don’t get too hung up about who’s on the cover. HEAD OF INDUSTRY: MUSIC Brian Preston
brian.preston@futurenet.com
ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Robert Dye
The MI Industry Is Readjusting: 7KHSDVW\HDUKDVEHHQWULFN\IRURXULQGXVWU\ robert.dye@futurenet.com, (732) 241-7437

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Jeff Donnenwerth
SDUWQHUV$VPDQ\RI\RXNQRZDOOWRRZHOOULVLQJFRQVXPHUSULFHVKDYHOHGWREHOW jeff.donnenwerth@futurenet.com, (678) 427-1535
tightening, leaving the average guitarist with less money to spend on gear. At least two SUBSCRIBER CUSTOMER SERVICE
PDQXIDFWXUHUVKDYHVDLGVDOHVRIJXLWDUVXQGHUKDYHEHHQVOXJJLVKZKLOHPRUH To subscribe, change your address, or check on your current
expensive models are selling well. Assuming the trend is widespread, it will be account status, go to guitarplayer.com and click on Subscribe,
email help@magazinesdirect.com, call 800-289-9839 or
LQWHUHVWLQJWRVHHKRZWKHLQGXVWU\UHVSRQGVZLWKWKHLUPRGHOOLQHXSVLQ,I write P.O. Box 2029, Langhorne, PA 19047
ZHOOKHHOHGFRQVXPHUV³WKRVHOHDVWDŲHFWHGE\ULVLQJSULFHVDQGLQWHUHVWUDWHV³¬DUH ARCHIVES
GULYLQJWKHLQGXVWU\ZKDWZLOOLWPHDQIRUHYHU\RQHHOVH":KLOHLW·VLPSRVVLEOHWR This magazine is available for research and retrieval of
select archived articles from leading electronic database
SUHGLFWZKHUHWKHHFRQRP\LVKHDGLQJFOHDUO\ZHFRXOGDOOXVHVRPHUHOLHI and search services, including ProQuest. For microform
availability, contact National Archive Publishing Company,
800-521-0600, or search the Serials in Microform listings
Gear in the New Year::LWK1$00MXVWWZRZHHNVDZD\DV,ZULWHWKLV,KDYHDIHZ at napubco.com. Back issues are available. For more
JHDUSUHGLFWLRQVIRUWKHFRPLQJ\HDU)LUVWWKHJXLWDUPDNLQJLQGXVWU\ZLOOFRQWLQXHWR information, contact www.proquest.com
UHVSRQGLQLQJHQLRXVZD\VWRGZLQGOLQJVXSSOLHVRISUHPLXPWRQHZRRGV7RWKDWHQG REPRINTS/PERMISSIONS
This magazine may not be reproduced or quoted
ERWK0DUWLQDQG7D\ORUKDYHEHHQLQGXVWU\OHDGHUVZKHQLWFRPHVWRXWLOL]LQJDOWHUQDWH in whole or in part by printed or electronic means without
PDWHULDOVDQGGHYHORSLQJQHZFRQVWUXFWLRQWHFKQLTXHVWKDWPDNHWKHPRVWRIH[LVWLQJ written permission from Future. To obtain permissions,
contact Wright’s Media, 877-652-5295.
UHVRXUFHV VHHWKLVLVVXH·V0DUWLQ,QFHSWLRQ0DSOHUHYLHZ 6HFRQGZH·OOVHHWKH
HPHUJHQFHRI$,WRDVVLVWZLWKHYHU\WKLQJIURPSHUIRUPDQFHWRUHFRUGLQJ³DPL[HG INTERNATIONAL LICENSING AND SYNDICATION
Guitar Player is available for licensing and syndication.
EOHVVLQJWKDWZLOOPDNHRXUOLYHVHDVLHUZKLOHLWDOORZVXVWRDYRLGXQGHUVWDQGLQJKRZ To find our more, contact us at licensing@futurenet.com, or
WKLQJVZRUN$QGWKLUGLIRXUUHYLHZVRIWKHSDVW\HDUDUHDQ\LQGLFDWLRQ,PSXOVH view our available content at www.futurecontenthub.com.
HEAD OF PRINT LICENSING, Rachel Shaw
5HVSRQVHVZLOOEHRPQLSUHVHQWLQWKHDPSDQGSHGDOZRUOG VHHRXU)ULHGPDQ,5; licensing@futurenet.com
'XDO7XEH3UHDPSDQG,53HGDOUHYLHZ DQGZH·OODOOVRXQGEHWWHUIRULW
BRAND DIRECTOR, MUSIC: Stuart Williams
HEAD OF ART: Rodney Dive
$VDOZD\VWKDQNVIRU\RXUFRQWLQXHGVXSSRUW,KRSH\RXHQMR\WKHLVVXH CONTENT DIRECTOR, MUSIC: Scott Rowley
HEAD OF DESIGN (MUSIC): Brad Merrett
GROUP ART DIRECTOR: Graham Dalzell
130 West 42nd Street, 7th Floor, New York, NY 10036
CONTACT US
SU B SCR I PT I ON S
Renewals/Questions: help@magazinesdirect.com
New Orders: help@magazinesdirect.com Phone: 800-289-9839
Mail: Guitar Player Subscriptions P.O. Box 2029 Langhorne, PA 19047
G U I TA R P L AY E R .CO M
Jackson Maxwell Online and Social Media Managing Editor,
jackson.maxwell@futurenet.com
10 MARC H 2 0 24 G U I T A R P L A Y E R . C O M
CONTENTS 44
JANE STUART ( MO RRI SON); BL AC KHAM IMAG ES (TROWER ); DAVID RE DFE RN / RED FER N S /G ET T Y IM AGES (PASS); ANDY SAP P ( STA R R) ; ARC H IVE P L/A L AM Y STOCK PH OTO ( M I L LE R) ; KA RJ E AN LE V IN E /G E TT Y IM AGES ( SOU ND GA R DE N )
MARCH 2024 | VOLUME 58 | NUMBER 3
PLAYERS
32
Billy Morrison
32
38
Charlie Starr
44
Kim Thayil
54
Steve Miller
64
Joe Pass
FRETS
70
Luca Stricagnoli
17 54
NEW & COOL

17
Yanuziello Gold Paisley
Washi Paper Deluxe
64
ALBUMS
20
Robin Trower 38
ON THE COVER JOIN THE GP COMMUNITY
Kim Thayil and Chris Cornell, 1993,
Karjean Levine/Getty Images twitter.com/guitarplayernow facebook.com/guitarplayermag instagram.com/guitarplayer
Guitar Player (ISSN 0017-5463) is published monthly with an extra issue in December by Future US LLC, 130 West 42nd Street, 7th Floor, New York, NY 10036
Periodicals postage paid at New York, NY, and at additional mailing offices. Canada Post: Publications Mail Agreement #40612608. Canada Returns to be sent to
Bleuchip International, P.O. Box 25542, London, ON N6C 6B2. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Guitar Player, P.O. Box 2029, Langhorne, PA 19047-9957.
TIPSHEET
22
Jared James Nichols
FIVE SONGS
24
Pete Anderson
IN MEMORIAM
27
Jim Crockett
90
COLUMNS
28
Dave Hunter’s Classic Gear
Gibson GA-79RVT
30
Joe Campilongo’s
Vinyl Treasures
George Van Eps, My Guitar
LESSONS
76
Make the five come alive
81
Acoustic applications for
92
Fender’s Tone Master Pro 86
Martin GPCE Inception Maple HOW I WROTE… 98 SCOTT DUDE LSO N/GE TTY I MAG ES
GEAR 90 98
Tone King Royalist MkIII Steve Lynch tells
82 the story behind
Fender Vintera II 92 Autograph’s 1984
’50s Jazzmaster, ’60s Friedman IR-X Dual Tube breakthrough hit,
Telecaster and ’70s Mustang Preamp and IR pedal “Turn Up the Radio”
FOR CUSTOM REPRINTS & E-PRINTS PLEASE CONTACT Wright’s Media : (877) 652-5295 or newbay@wrightsmedia.com LIST RENTAL: (914) 368-1024, jganis@meritdirect.com
PLEASE DIRECT ADVERTISING INQUIRIES TO GUITAR PLAYER, 130 West 42nd Street, 7th Floor, New York, NY 10036 Tel. (212) 378-0400; Fax (212) 378-0470; jonathan.
brudner@futurenet.com. EDITORIAL REQUESTS TO chris.scapelliti@futurenet.com. PLEASE DIRECT SUBSCRIPTION ORDERS, INQUIRIES, AND ADDRESS CHANGES TO
GUITAR PLAYER, Box 2029, Langhorne, PA 19047-9957, or (800) 289-9839, or send an email to guitarplayermag@icnfull.com, or click to subscriber sevices at guitarplayer.com.
BACK ISSUES are available for $10 each by calling (800) 289-9839 or by contacting guitarplayermag@icnfull.com. Guitar Player is a registered trademark of Future.
All material published in Guitar Player is copyrighted © 2023 by Future. All rights reserved. Reproduction of material appearing in Guitar Player is prohibited without written per-
mission. Publisher assumes no responsibility for return of unsolicited manuscripts, photos, or artwork. All product information is subject to change; publisher assumes no
responsibility for such changes. All listed model numbers and product names are manufacturers’ registered trademarks. Published in the U.S.A.
N E W & C O O L | YANUZIELLO
The guitar’s eye-

catching top features
a decorative leaf of
Japanese washi paper.
TOP SCORE and archtops, resonators, Hawaiian guitars

and mandolins, and he spared not one iota
of his finely honed chops when he started
Joe Yanuziello’s Gold Paisley Washi Paper Deluxe bolting pickups to his creations.
The Gold Paisley Washi Paper Deluxe
notches a win for both performance and looks. deserves detailed examination, but the
skin-deep beauty imbued by the striking top
B Y D A V E H U N T E R — Yanuziello’s take on the paisley wallpaper
finish often seen on the Telecaster — will
COMBINE RARE ARTISTRY with the on the Silvertone/Harmony Stratotone obviously catch most people’s attention first.
three-pronged homage intended by Joe designs of the ’50s and ’60s, rendered as The design comes courtesy of the Japanese
Yanuziello’s Gold Paisley Washi Paper Deluxe a refined instrument with a broad and original washi paper that gives this model its name.
guitar and the result is something not only sonic palette. The eclecticism goes even Available in a range of colors, and often with
breathtakingly beautiful but also strikingly deeper with Yanuziello’s new Gold Paisley elaborate decorations, washi is made by
different from just about everything that has Washi Paper Deluxe, which presents a striking adding fibers from the inner bark and wood
come before. figure with its mashup of Telecaster, Les Paul, of a range of alternative trees and shrubs.
All guitar makers inevitably borrow from Guyatone and Harmony aesthetics. This results in a material that’s tougher than
P HOTOS COURTESY OF J OE YAN UZI E LLO
those who have preceded them. But many Once in hand, however, this guitar sent my conventional wood-pulp paper, making it
fans of high-end luthiery find the strongest thoughts far from the pawnshop prizes that ideal for many traditional Japanese crafts.
emotional and aesthetic connection made by formed so much of its inspiration. It’s worth “A couple of years ago, I had the idea to
instruments that turn these inspirations into noting that Joe Yanuziello is an art college find some paisley wallpaper and apply it to
something that’s nevertheless startlingly graduate who worked in custom cabinetry the top of one of my electric guitars, as an
original. The Atomic Blue Electric One that before segueing into guitar-making full-time homage to the original Paisley Telecaster
this skilled Toronto-based maker sent me in 1998. Prior to venturing into electric guitars, from the late ’60s,” Yanuziello tells me. “After
to check out nearly four years ago [see GP the Canadian luthier earned a stellar searching, I couldn’t locate any wallpaper that
September 2020] was an acknowledged twist reputation for his handmade acoustic flattops appealed to me, and then I remembered the
G U I T A R P L A Y E R . C O M M A RC H 2 024 17
NE W & C O O L | YANUZIELLO GOLD PAISLEY WASHI PAPER DELUXE
Japanese Paper Place in Toronto. As I combed

through their handmade, hand-printed paper
selection, I immediately thought this paper
would make for an interesting guitar series.
The paper is of a high quality, and the printing
patterns and colors are beautiful.”
The effort was not without its challenges,
however, and required a significant
rejigging of Yanuziello’s approach to his
hollowbody guitar builds. “I realized that
to apply the paper under pressure,
without bubbles or folds, I would have
to hollow out my guitar body after the
paper was applied and dry. On these
guitars, rather than gluing on the top,
I hollow out the body and then glue the
back to it. The other detail was to bind Joe Yanuziello
extensively reworked
the top of the body before the paper was
the Bigsby to make
applied. This gave me a smooth, hard edge it function best with
to trim the paper flush to the sides. I used his creation.
a water-based clear glue made by Elmer’s
so there would be no color interference
through the paper from the glue color.” dots at the fingerboard’s edge. It’s an ebony control knobs and a barrel tip for the
Despite its compact appearance, the elegant design that shows the fretboard five-way switch.
Gold Paisley Washi Paper Deluxe is built to in its best light. Structural and cosmetic elements of the
a full 25 ½–inch scale length. The The headstock facing and truss-rod build aside, its three pickups and modified
mahogany neck is attached to cover are also of Macassar ebony, Bigsby vibrato are standout features. The
the body with three bolts in and the tuners are high-end former are a trio of Curtis Novak’s Guyatone-
recessed cups and carved to an open-gear Waverly units with style GT-V Tokyo Vintage pickups, a variation
extremely comfortable ivoroid buttons. The polished- on the popular gold-foil template. Each
medium-C profile that measures bone nut has a width of 1 11/16 employs a single coil wound around a bar
.84 inches deep at the first fret inches, and there’s a volute magnet beneath the eponymous gold-foil
and .940 inches at the 12th. behind the neck-to- portion of the cover; the visible “pole pieces”
It’s topped with a headstock transition to at the pickups’ front edges are merely
fingerboard of Macassar strengthen that region. At decorative, just as in the originals of the ’60s.
ebony, with black side dots the body end, Yanuziello has As the pickups are relatively shallow, they’re
in the ivoroid binding that added another lovely touch raised to the appropriate heights with shims
wrap around to creamy ivoroid with custom-made Macassar of Macassar ebony.
The use of Macassar
ebony extends from
the fretboard to
the headstock and
truss rod cover.
through a 65amps London head and 2x12

cab, a 1x12 tweed Deluxe-style combo and
a Fractal FM9 floor modeler, this guitar
exuded charm, originality and the kind of
unique personality that makes you want to
point it down the path less trodden. It has
a cool, scooped, slightly funky voice at its
core, with hints of semihollow/hollowbody
electric tonalities and playing response.
Which is to say, the Gold Paisley Washi
Paper Deluxe is really very much its own
thing, combining contributions of the heavily
chambered mahogany body and Novak’s
translation of Guyatone’s take on the
gold-foil, a low-output pickup which is also
quite microphonic in a way that further
enhances the openness and airiness of the
guitar itself (and sometimes even sounds
more like a microphone than a pickup). The
overall design lends a lot of character to clean
tones, with excellent clarity as well as a
certain texture and edge that give the sound
To get the Bigsby scale with the face of depth and body. Show it some overdrive,
working its best in this “ FOR A DES IG N the instrument. And though, and it’s bold and gutsy, presenting
guitar, Yanuziello tells most importantly, a garage-rocky snark and attitude that belies
us, “I start with a B-3,
TO BE SUCCESSF U L, I rout the horseshoe the elegance of the overall build, but which
one of the vibratos T HE COM PL ETE D WORK down into the body, certainly enhances the fun factor while urging
without the tension allowing for the string you to make it your own.
roller bar, and I saw
SHOUL D B E G REATE R break angle over the As Yanuziello tells Guitar Player, “I think for
off the end, keeping T HA N TH E SU M O F bridge. I also set the a design to be successful in any discipline —
just the horseshoe- neck on a slightly furniture, architecture, artwork, auto design,
TH E PA RTS”
shaped casting that steeper angle for the musical instruments — the completed work
accommodates the same reason.” To put it should be greater than the sum of the parts.”
rod that the strings attach to. I then pull out simply, this is not your grandfather’s Bigsby. His Gold Paisley Washi Paper Deluxe guitar is
the six pins and drill through the rod so the The Gold Paisley Washi Paper Deluxe precisely that, and the result is inspiring.
strings go through and over. I grind off the nub plays effortlessly from the first to the 21st fret,
that prevents the vibrato arm from rotating, and its overall lightness (around six pounds) CONTACT yanuziello.com
and I reduce the width of the arm itself, in adds to the ethereal experience. Tested PRICE $8,500
A L B U M | ROBIN TROWER
BLUES BREAK concentrating on composing for the guitar.

For many years I’ve been playing and bending
strings — which is a big part of my style — in
Robin Trower enjoys a shot of rhythm and blues my standard keys, such as B, E and C#.
as he teams up with Sari Schorr for Joyful Sky.

“With Sari, I was challenged to write in
completely different keys, and this brought
out different sides of my arranging. I’ve
B Y M A R T I N M C Q U A D E definitely diverted onto a new path with her.
While some of the writing was from sessions
T HE B RITI SH RO CK invasion of the Ever seeking new horizons, Trower for my previous album, No More Worlds to
1960s has long come and gone, and precious recently undertook a new adventure with Conquer, I did write five songs specifically for
few insurgents who led the charge have Joyful Sky (Provogue), a collection of 10 her: ‘Joyful Sky,’ ‘Change It,’ ‘Need for You,’
endured (or even survived). Robin Trower songs on which the “architect of British blues” ‘Flatter to Deceive’ and ‘I’ll Be Moving On.’
is an exception. The dauntless guitarist has joins forces with blues sensation Sari Schorr That last one is my favorite, because it
thrived, in large part because he has evolved for a rousing set of rhythm and blues. combines rock and roll, blues and R&B.”
artistically. There was his tenure with the beat “Over a year ago, my manager asked me One thing that did not change was
group the Paramounts, who had a 1964 hit to consider writing for Sari, whom I had never Trower’s choice of gear, which he says is
with a cover of “Poison Ivy” and opened for heard,” Trower explains. “He sent me some “pretty much the same all the time. I played
the Beatles on a U.K. tour. There was, of tracks, and her voice knocked me out. I made my own signature model Stratocaster set
course, his stint with progressive-rock a completely new arrangement for her of that Fender built to my specification. I’ve
forerunners Procol Harum and, beginning ‘I Will Always Be Your Shelter,’ a song I had got a few and always use one or two. I also
in 1973, the Robin Trower Band, in which he already recorded.” always use a combination of two Marshall
plied the signature brand of blues rock heard The guitarist realized that working amps; I’ve got Bluesbreakers, a 50-watt
on his landmark 1974 album, Bridge of Sighs. with Schorr required that he depart from a [1987X] and a 100-watt [JCM800 2203].
More recently, he ventured into funk with the songwriting habit that dates back to his time And I use Fulltone pedals that Mike Fuller has
2021 release United State of Mind. “in Procol Harum,” he says, “where I started supplied over the years. The first one he gave
me was a prototype from the early ’90s. nice rhythm-and-blues flavor I scored an independent film
I’ve been using them a long time.” to it, have also crept into my RECOMMENDED some years ago, and I wouldn’t
Unlike his last two albums, on which art. I learned economy from LISTENING mind attempting that again.”
Trower used computer drums, Joyful Sky artists like Albert King, for Keeping within the film-
features his longtime drummer Chris Taggart. whom one note could tell Joyful Sky music vein, several tracks,
Trower himself handled bass duties, playing a whole story. Additionally, “Joyful Sky,” “Change It,” including “I’m Moving On” and
a Fender Precision. “I always work out the Elvis’s guitarist Scotty Moore “Burn,“ “Flatter to “Burn,” have a pulsating drive
bass arrangements in tandem with the inspired me to play in the first Deceive,” “I’ll Be Moving that recalls John Barry’s “James
guitar,” he explains. “The guitar part always place. I also admired Oscar On,” “The Circle is Bond Theme” — which is not
comes first, and I build it up from there.” Moore, guitarist with Nat Complete” surprising since Trower ranks
And while Joyful Sky has an R&B flavor, [King] Cole’s Trio.” Barry as one of the great film
Trower hasn’t fully lost sight of his blues There are some nostalgic composers. “One interviewer
roots. “Traditional blues is very deep,” he hints within Joyful Sky. “The Circle Is said the album is a hearkening back to the
notes. “I’m referring to originals, such as Complete” contains a riff vaguely reminiscent ’70s,” he says. “That’s not a bad thing. If it
Robert Johnson and Son House. What also of that in “Aqualung” by Jethro Tull, for whom appeals to the listener in that way, I’m happy.”
excites me is Chicago blues, namely Muddy Procol Harum regularly opened. Trower’s This far into his career, Trower has many
Waters and Howlin’ Wolf, whose soulful extended solo is the track’s highlight. ”I love years of experience to draw on, and he
and atmospheric anything involving a lot reveals that several tracks — including “The
‘Smokestack of lead guitar,” he says, Distance,” “Peace of Mind” and “Need for You”
Lightning’ has fed into “ THE ON LY DI RECT I ON to the surprise of — are biographical. ”They’re about my youth
my writing. B.B. King nobody. “Initially, and what it looks like now as I peer back,”
Live at the Regal,
I H AV E I S TO KEE P I thought this could the 78-year-old says. “Many of my lyrics
James Brown Live at WRI T I N G G O OD be the music for a are about myself and my thoughts about
the Apollo and Jimi film’s opening credits, the world. Essentially, I’m an optimist. The
Hendrix’s Band of
M AT ERI A L A N D M A KI N G because of its great song ‘Joyful Sky’ expresses my thoughts
Gypsys, which had a GO O D T RACKS” cinematic atmosphere. about this era. I feel that we’re living in
disturbed times. It’s easy to get depressed
about it if you focus on it too much. But
there’s beauty in the world, and I think you’ve
just got to go looking for it.”
Personal responsibility is likewise the
message in “Change It”: “It’s about facing
up to where you went wrong and moving
forward,” he explains. “Flatter to Deceive,”
meanwhile, “bemoans the frightening state of
celebrity today, with social media and people
being famous for being famous,” he says.
“However, there is a living to be made out of
it, and I can’t blame people for grabbing it.”
As for Trower’s own career, he’s already
thinking about his next album project. “I’ve
got 12 tracks in the can,” he reveals. “I thought
I had finished it six weeks ago, but since then
I’ve written additional material, which I’m
going to cut and may replace that initial
bunch with some of these new tracks. I plan
a release at the end of 2024.
“For that matter, I’ve also written,
produced and performed three tracks, in
a similar vein to those on Joyful Sky, for Sari’s
Robin Trower was new album. Basically, there’s not a planned
introduced to Sari direction I’m going in. There’s no such thing,
Schorr (left) by
as far as I’m concerned. The only direction
his manager, who
suggested the I have, really, is to keep writing good material
guitarist write for her. and making good tracks.”
M A RC H 2 024 21
A D V I C E | JARED JAMES NICHOLS
“HAV E F UN. P L AY TH E
GUITA R. IF YOU D O
TH AT, T HINGS WI L L
FALL IN TO PLAC E ”
TIP SHEET interest. “At first, Leslie was like, ‘Who are
you?’ I introduced myself, and he said, ‘Keep
playing.’ I played some more, and then Leslie
and I was so psyched. Once I got there, I was
hit with this realization that I had to learn all
these modes and scales and all this music
It all comes down to wheeled over and strapped on his guitar. We theory. It was overwhelming, and before long
started jamming — it was really cool. Finally, the guitar didn’t feel fun anymore. I literally
attitude. Jared James he stopped playing and looked at me, and became afraid to pick up the guitar because
Nichols suggests five serious as can be he said, ‘Slow the fuck I thought I wasn’t any good. It was a terrible
FUTURE PUBLIS HIN G (NI CHOLS ); PAUL NATK IN/G ETTY IMAGES (BB); MAR IO TAMA/G ET TY IMAGES ( WEST )
down!’ He meant it.” headspace to get into. Eventually, I shook
ways to bring your best. After soundcheck, Nichols and West had
a chat. For the young guitarist, it was a golden
myself out of it, and I had to remind myself:
Have fun. Play the guitar. If you do that, things
opportunity to pick the brain of a veteran will fall into place.”
B Y J O E B O S S O six-string hero. “Leslie was great,” Nichols says.
FAST-R IS ING B LU ES ROC K guitar star

Jared James Nichols remembers one of the
“He said that he really liked my vibrato and
tone. I remember him saying, ‘You’ve got great
feel and a nice touch. Don’t sacrifice all of that
2 PRACTI CE FOR
D ISCOVERY
“Building on my first tip, I came up with a way
best tips he ever received from a fellow player for speed.’ I’ll tell you, it meant a lot to me, and to make practice fun. I call it ‘Practice for
— only it came in the form of an order, and I really took it to heart.” Discovery.’ When I was learning scales and
from no less than Leslie West. Nichols has some sage advice of his own modes and things, I was just told, ‘You need
“It was about a year before Leslie died. to pass along. Who knows? Should you ever to know this stuff,’ but I didn’t know why. Then
I got booked to open for him at B.B. King’s find yourself face-to-face onstage with one I started listening to Carlos Santana and Gary
in New York,” Nichols says. “I was so excited. of your guitar heroes, it could come in handy. Moore, and I’d go, ‘Oh, they’re doing this
I had to take a red-eye flight to get there, and snippet of a scale here. I see what you can
with all the travel expenses I didn’t make
a dime from the show, but I didn’t care.
I idolized Leslie and no way was I going to
1 REMEMBER TO H AVE FUN
“When I do clinics or shows, people ask
me, ‘How can I get better on the guitar?’ The
do with that.’ Instead of playing a scale
mindlessly, I’d play to records and see what
those scales could really do in real life.
miss a chance to open for him.” first thing I say is, ‘Are you having fun when “I listened to Zeppelin’s ‘Since I’ve Been
Nichols made it to the venue in time for you play?’ Playing the guitar shouldn’t feel Loving You,’ and I’d go, ‘Jimmy Page is playing
soundcheck, and as he played he noticed like a chore. Even if you practice for hours a minor pentatonic, but he adds in this other
West — seated close by in his electric a day, you should try to make it enjoyable. thing and gets a cool, sad sound.’ That got me
wheelchair — watching him with keen When I was 18, I got a scholarship to Berklee, to explore the natural minor scale. Suddenly,
Leslie West’s sage
advice helped Jared
James Nichols put
the brakes on his
addiction to speed.
I knew how to mix things up. It was a way of

learning street theory, if you will, but it was
also way more exciting than if I were just
playing scales that didn’t sound like music.”
3 GEAR WON’ T SO LVE

YOUR PROBLEM S
“As guitarists, we always think if we get that
pedal, that guitar or that amp, we’ll be a
much better player. The reality is, none of
that matters; it’s what’s in your hands, your
heart and your head.
“This hit me four or five years ago, when
I started touring a lot. I had my first vintage
guitar — a 1953 Les Paul — and after a show
I ran into my booking agent. I was all excited
— ‘Hey, man, did you check out my new
guitar? How did it sound?’ He was like, ‘Yeah,
it was cool.’ So I said, ‘You don’t understand.
It’s a vintage guitar.’ He laughed and said, ‘You
4 PASSION OVER
PERF ECTIO N
“I never like it when people say, ‘I don’t want
measure up to the guitarist I hear in my head,
I’m going to play with as much passion and
gusto as I can. My goal became to connect
guitar players don’t get it. When we’re out in to learn theory because it’ll ruin my feel.’ with people and give them an experience that
the crowd, we don’t ever notice that stuff. We That’s the biggest load of crap I’ve ever heard. allowed them to enjoy themselves. I’ve seen
just hear a guitar. We can’t tell if one cost this I mean, you have to learn the language in a lot of players who are ridiculously talented
much or that much.’ order to write a book. Playing music is really but don’t connect with people. Conversely,
“It knocked the wind out of my sails, no different. I saw B.B. King play before he passed, and it
but when I started to watch my live videos “This goes back to how overwhelmed I felt was a whole different experience. He played
recorded from the board, I started to realize trying to learn theory at Berklee. I was training very few notes, but it was like watching
just how little gear matters when you’re my ear and learning how to read and write somebody catch lightning in a bottle.”
playing live. I remember playing a show one music, but it was as if I forgot about the
night with an expensive guitar, and during
a solo I saw some guy yawn. The next night,
I played an inexpensive guitar, and the crowd
human element — why I love music and how
it makes me feel. When I put the technical and
the human aspect together, I became a better
5 ADAPT AND OVE RCOM E
“For anybody who is going on the road,
you need to know that If something can go
went crazy. Why? Probably because I played musician in the ways that really matter. wrong, it will go wrong. All kinds of bad crap
better that night. It wasn’t about the gear; it “In a similar vein, when I started to tour happens when you’re on tour, and your
was about me.” a lot, I decided that, even if I might not mission is to somehow deal with it all and
play a great show.
“How do you do it? You have to adapt and
overcome. In short, you have to be ready for
anything. It helps to consider all the problems
you might encounter before they happen, and
then you’ll be able to deal with them without
losing your mind. Every day when I’m on tour,
I wake up and think, What do I need to deal
with today? That thing that went wrong last
night — how can we make sure it doesn’t
happen tonight?
“Some artists reach a point where
everything is done for them on the road. But
the majority of us still have to take on a lot of
the day-to-day duties of touring ourselves. It’s
like we’re running a small business. I’m both
the team owner and the coach, and I have to
go out there and lead the team at night. It’s a
What made
B.B. King so great? lot of work, but none of it would run smoothly
See tip number 4. if I didn’t adapt and overcome.”
M A RC H 2 024 23
F I VE S O N G S | PETE ANDERSON
MY CAREER IN
FIVE SONGS
From Dwight Yoakam to Michelle
Shocked — Pete Anderson picks
the tunes that put him on the map.
B Y M A R K M C S T E A
PETE A ND ERSO N M A D E his name direct and star in it, and it was very costly,” the
as a hotshot Telemaster and successful guitarist explains. That film was South of
producer with Dwight Yoakam when their Heaven, West of Hell. “As a result, he needed
first album, Guitars, Cadillacs, Etc., Etc., to trim down his touring expenses, which
became a double-Platinum smash in meant that the band had to take a big cut in
1986. The pair had been working together pay. I wasn’t super happy with the way that
for two years, finding success with it ended, because I’d been there for over 20
new-wave audiences and roots fans years, but it all worked out okay in the end.
alike, helped by opening slots for the likes I got to concentrate on doing other things that
of the Blasters and Los Lobos. I hadn’t done before, and I can’t imagine that
Yoakam’s back-to-basics approach I could’ve carried on stuffing myself into a
eschewed all the trappings that country tight pair of jeans and putting cowboy boots
had fallen into by the 1980s. He was on, getting the gig bag and flying to North
looking back at the golden age of the Dakota to play the Indian casino or whatever.”
honky-tonks, taking the Bakersfield vibe With that said, Anderson says he has
from Buck Owens and supercharging fond memories of his time with Yoakam.
it with the punch and drive of the “I remember looking back at the end of my
new-wave bands he’d been supporting. tenure when I was working on the [2002] box
A huge part of Yoakam’s success was set, Reprise, Please Baby, and I was taken
down to the mind-bending skills of aback a little,” he says. “I thought, My god,
Anderson, who took the art of country that’s a lot of music, and I was responsible
guitar to places never before imagined, for every note as the producer, the guitarist
with solos that seemed to defy all the and the bandleader. I just felt amazed to
conventions of the genre, and yet made actually look back at how much we did. I’m
perfect sense. really proud of it. Whenever I listen to it, I think
N ELSON BL AN TO N
Yoakam and Anderson parted ways in what we did sounded so good.”

2002 on terms that Anderson says were Anderson’s most recent project has been
less than ideal. “He made a movie around his new book, How to Produce a Record:
2000 because he was determined to A Player’s Philosophy for Making a Great
work, like moving the chords around with
dominant, diminished and augmented
chords.”
Anderson is relentlessly self-analytical
about his playing, even though, for the
average player, his licks seem almost
impossible to replicate. “When I’m playing my
own music at a show, I will grade myself on
my solos at the end of the night,” he reveals.
“Some nights are definitely better than
others. If I’m well rested, got plenty of energy
and don’t have gear problems, there’s a good
chance I can make myself happy and score in
the high 80s or even the low 90s.”
Here he reflects on five of his recorded
performances that scored a perfect 100.
“ 1,000 MILES
FRO M NOWHE RE”
Pete Anderson and DWIG HT YOA KA M — THIS
Dwight Yoakam TIME ( 1983)
(right) perform in
“This is a favorite
Los Angeles at the
Palomino Club, song of mine, because
August 24, 1985. Dwight used a fairly
common chord
progression that’s been
Record, which, as the title suggests, gives you his change in musical direction. “I pretty used a thousand
all you need — besides talent and some great much play all my signature Reverends,” he times, so I was really
songs — to deliver pro-sounding recordings. says. “My PA-1, which is semihollow, is wondering what I could do with it. I think
Unsurprisingly, the focus is on the digital probably my number one go-to guitar. it’s possibly the only song that I played two
process. As someone who came through There’s a new model that’s coming soon guitars on: I put a slide part on there as well
studios in the analog age, Anderson feels that’s what I imagined a Fender version of as in the intro and kind of weaved them
no misplaced nostalgia for the old days. a Gibson ES-335 would be like. It has an together, a little like ‘Layla.’ I was Eric Clapton
“Everything that the digital world makes ebony fingerboard and a Gibson scale length, and Duane Allman.
super convenient to do was being done back humbuckers and a maple veneer on the top “I think it sounds pretty majestic and
in the analog age, but of the body in cherry melodic. I still love how it sounds. I think
engineers were finding red. In essence, I came up with a great slide part that really
those processes really “ IF YOU’R E G OI NG though, it’s a very jazzy, took things to another level. I never actually
cumbersome,” he bluesy Tele. It’s got worked out my solo for this, or for anything
explains. “They
TO DO A COVER, YOU a ton of sustain really. I would catalog things in my mind
were crying out MI G H T AS WE L L TAK E because the neck is — positions or areas that I thought worked
for something to set into the body.” when we were in rehearsal — so that when
IT SO ME WHE RE
JASPE R DAI LE Y/ MIC HAE L OCHS ARC HI VES /GE TTY I MAGES
simplify the technical Playing-wise, it came time to lay down the solo, I’d have
processes of recording. E NT IRELY DIF F E RE NT ” Anderson is constantly a pretty good idea of what would work well,
There was nothing like looking for ways to melodically. I did often like to find an unusual
the ease of pushing a button that digital expand his musical vocabulary. “I play guitar starting point for a solo and take it, but this is
technology gives you. It’s kinda like, ‘Do you every day without fail. I have my own a much more melodic, in-the-pocket solo.
like reading by candlelight now that you’ve curriculum to try to expand my playing. I’m “A lot of times, as I was producing, I’d
got a light on your table?’ I definitely like really pretty much bored with linear playing. know the melody so well that I’d hear it in
the light better. You’re not going to stop I listen to a lot of Sinatra’s greatest hits and my head as I was playing and I’d be working
technology, and I think it’s foolish to go focus on what the horn section is doing. I’m around it and against it. There’s always a
against it.” trying to absorb those complex chords that couple of notes that are going to stand out,
These days, Anderson’s solo albums they’re playing. I’m trying to find places in my especially in country music. When you go to
feature much more blues and jazz than own music where I can use those ideas and the V chord and play a major seventh in that
country, and his choice of instruments reflects incorporate complex harmonies and chordal key, it’s very powerful. It’s the third of the
F I VE S O N G S | PETE ANDERSON
V, but it’s a major seven. I hear that note and that the people I was playing it for probably
the sweet tone of the sixth, and that usually weren’t even born when it was a hit and didn’t
gives me a flavor of where I want to go in my recognize the song at all. [laughs] At that
head. I try to work off those few notes that time, this song was almost like a menu of the
are really unusual.” things that I could do — every trick lick that
I could do was on there. My version of ‘Fire’
“GUI TARS, CAD ILLACS” Anderson at by Jimi Hendrix on this album attracted some
the Concert
DWIGHT YOAKAM — GUI TARS, for Artists’ Rights,
attention. I tried to imagine how Muddy
CADILLACS, ETC., ETC. (19 86) February 2002. Waters would have played it, because if you’re
“This is the first thing going do a cover you might as well take it
I did where I got some
notoriety. It was for a maple neck; the guitar was red metalflake.
the second solo. It put It looked like a guitar you’d play if you were in “AFTE R I LEFT DWI GHT,
me on the map and Little Richard’s band in the ’50s. [laughs] The I T HOUGHT A BOUT T H E
started people talking amp was a blackface Fender Deluxe.”
about the style of
DIRECTI ON I WANT E D
guitar that I was playing. I put in a few “ IF LOVE WAS A TRAIN” TO GO. TH IS SO NG WAS
pedal-steel licks and a nice sixth lick. There MICHEL LE S HOCK ED — S HO RT
hadn’t been many things recorded like that SHARP S HOCK ED (1988 ) WHAT I WANT ED TO
at that time. I’m certainly not saying that I was “I was the producer H EAD TOWARD ”
the first to do it, of course — Phil Baugh was on this one, and it did
a really amazing guitarist who had done a lot really well. The record somewhere entirely different. Hell, I’m not
with steel-guitar licks on a regular guitar. But was kind of explosive going to compete with Jimi Hendrix.”
this song was a big hit, so a lot of people got at the time. It was a
to hear it on the radio and wondered what the real crossover album “WES SIDE BLUES”
heck that guitar was doing. as it did well in the U.K. PET E ANDERSON – EVEN
“The first solo is pretty restrained, I was and in America. ‘Anchorage’ was a great song THINGS UP ( 201 1)
channeling Don Rich from Buck Owens’ band on there that made a lot of noise for Michelle. “It’s difficult to play
there. He was a unique guitarist and also It was a Gold record, which was great to have octaves and get away
a really great harmony singer, incidentally. He under my belt. It was an opportunity that I with it. I’m a big fan
played country more like a blues guy. For the didn’t expect to get. of Wes Montgomery,
second solo, I knew I might be able to sneak “This song gave me a chance to play in both his playing and
in what I’d been doing in the bars for all those a way that I wasn’t really known for at that his compositional
years. It was just a ’56 refinished Tele with time. Although I’d been playing blues for abilities. Of course,
many years, I’d never recorded anything in I love his octave playing, but I also really like
that style. I used a capo and played way up his single-line playing, because it’s so
Anderson
the neck, like Albert Collins. I think it shows melodic. He never played over people’s heads,
performs at The
GRAMMY Museum that great music can cross boundaries. Just and I think part of the reason for his popular
ANN AMARIA DI SANTO/ WI REI MAG E (2002); MARK SULLI VAN/ W IRE IMAGE (2014 )
in Los Angeles, as Dwight took his honky-tonk country to appeal is that the average guy on the street
July 30, 2014. punk audiences, Michelle took her own unique didn’t have to be a jazz aficionado to get him.
roots blend all around the world.” They could just like the sound.
“I chose this song because, after I left
“ OUR DAY WI LL CO ME” Dwight, I thought about the direction that
P ETE ANDERSON – WO RKING I wanted to go as a player, and this song was
CLASS ( 1994) very much what I wanted to head toward.
“When I recorded this I remember thinking that I’ve got a vehicle —
album, I set out to the song — and a style that I’ve been working
record an instrumental on in my head for years, using chords that
that everybody knew. were a little more complex and playing
I’d thought of doing outside notes. I think if someone was a fan
‘Sleepwalk,’ where of my playing, then this was a good Pete
everybody would know Anderson calling card. The guitar for this one
the melody, and I thought maybe I could do was an Epiphone Joe Pass model, which isn’t
‘Our Day Will Come’ in a similar style. After I’d a great guitar, actually. I think the amp was
recorded it and was playing it live, I realized a Fender blackface twin.”
IN M E M O R I A M | JIM CROCKETT
included B.B. King, Chick Corea, Jerry Garcia,

Barney Kessel, Tommy Tedesco, Country Joe
McDonald, David Bromberg and Pete Seeger.
Through the pages of Guitar Player — until
the introduction of Guitar World in 1980, the
only magazine of its kind — Jim provided a
launching pad for countless musicians, writers,
photographers, and builders of guitars, amps,
effects and other gear. As producer of the
acclaimed documentary film The Wrecking
Crew! Denny Tedesco observed, “Jim started so
many careers, including my father’s.”
For decades Jim’s “From the Publisher”
intro ran in the front of every issue of Guitar
Player. Through this friendly, insightful and
seemingly off-the-cuff column, musicians,
readers and advertisers alike felt a kinship
with Jim. It was my pleasure to edit this
column for 11 years.
In fact, I always found Jim Crockett
wonderful to work with — I have nothing but
love and praise for “JC,” as we called him. He
Jim Crockett, 1937–2023 treated our staff with dignity and respect. He
knew how to get out of the way and allow
The former Guitar Player publisher oversaw

creative people to flourish.
As Tom Wheeler wrote in his first “From the
Editor” column back in August 1989, “Jim
the rise of the magazine and its many spinoffs. provided us with a working environment that is
the envy of any journalist who sets foot in the
B Y J A S O B R E C H T building, one that to my knowledge is
unsurpassed among publishers. He guided us
H E SWA M A MO N G great white sharks, influences on the structure, personality and and trusted us with his prize possessions, the
drove race cars, taught kindergarten and success of GPI.” magazines he helped build. In setting his
college, and worked as a radio DJ, newscaster While Rolling Stone, Cream, Circus and priorities, he never put making a corporate
and TV producer. He was the CEO of a sheet other rock-oriented magazines of the 1970s profit above making a contribution. A musician
music company, directed a public relations tended to veer into the gossipy parts of himself, he never let us forget our primary goal:
agency, owned a scuba company and served as celebrities’ lives, Jim encouraged Guitar Player’s to serve musicians.” Jim was also extremely
a project coordinator for the National Trust of editors, columnists and other contributors to generous, as evidenced by our salaries and
the Cayman Islands. He wrote and edited focus almost exclusively on the music and annual Christmas bonuses.
several books and bylined over a thousand tools of the trade — how famous songs were On his final day as publisher, Jim Crockett
freelance articles. written, how unforgettable solos were sent our staff this message: “Be proud of where
To the world at large, though, Jim Crockett recorded, how gear influences tone, and so on. you worked and what you did. We made
will be best remembered as the visionary Before every interview, he’d tell us, “Put specialty publishing history, had a good time,
founder of the modern guitar magazine. yourself in the place of the interviewee’s most and learned a lot.” A quarter-century later, Jim
Becoming publisher of GPI Publications in 1971, dedicated fans and try to ask the questions and his daughter Dara celebrated the
Jim orchestrated the rise of Guitar Player; they’d ask.” He allowed us a lot of space in the magazine’s “Glory Years” in the book Guitar
founded Frets, Keyboard, and Drums and magazine, so the interviews and features could Player: The Inside Story of the First Two Decades
Drumming magazines; and oversaw the go much further in-depth than today’s of the Most Successful Guitar Magazine Ever. Jim
creation of the company’s books, records and paper-printed music journalism. Crockett, a grand and gracious guy until the
newsletters divisions. He was the force behind An accomplished jazzer, Jim loved to play end, passed away on December 16, 2023.
the annual Guitar Player Readers Poll and the drums. Sometimes after we sent an issue to
J ON SI E VERT, 1979
flexi disc Soundpages that introduced readers press, we’d have a jam session in our Jas Obrecht was a staff editor for Guitar Player,
to dozens of brilliant guitarists deserving of warehouse or parking garage. Jim would often 1978–1998. The author of several books, he
wider recognition. As Tom Wheeler sagely invite some of the musicians he’d befriended to runs the Talking Guitar YouTube channel and
noted, “Jim’s philosophies were seminal sit in with us. Participants in these sessions online magazine at jasobrecht.substack.com
C O L U M N | CLASSIC GEAR
Moving in Stereo
In 1961, Gibson took a
step in two dimensions
with the GA-79RVT
combo, a cool idea that
never quite took off.
LOO K I NG AT GIBSON’S new Falcon 5 adopting stereophonic sound for the home through a stereo combo could be deep,
and Falcon 20 combos last month [see New market. Gibson’s stereo guitars sent the lush and wide.
& Cool, February 2024] got me thinking about signals from an electric guitar’s neck and But it was not without its problems. For
one of the company’s last great classic 1960s bridge pickups to separate channels of an example, what happens if you like to switch
amps, the GA-79RVT stereo combo. If you amp designed to reproduce each signal pickups for different sounds, rather than stay
were a guitarist in the early years of that independently. Of course, this isn’t really in the middle position, and your stage sound
decade, the GA-79RVT was the way to go, “stereo” reproduction, which is intended to suddenly jumps from left to right, or vice
especially if you had a fancy new ES-355 create a fuller and more realistic audio versa? In practice, this form of stereo
stereo guitar to plug into it. experience, rather than one that is merely a guitar-and-amp rig was of limited use and
Gibson’s embrace of stereo arrived at the binaural left-right distinction. Even so, the appeal, and sales were also limited. Many
same time that the hi-fi community was resulting sound from a Gibson stereo guitar players modified their stereo ES-355s for
The angled cabinet

creates a wide stereo
field and, unfortunately,
a dead spot in the center.
AMP AN D PHOTOS COURTESY OF ATOMI C MUSI C. MAIN STUD IO SH OTS : I MAGE D BY HE RITAG E AUCT IO NS, HA.COM
ESSENTIAL INGREDIENTS
• 30 watts from four 6BQ5 (EL84)

output tubes
• Stereo/mono preamp switching
• Three 6EU7, one 7199 and one 12AU7
preamp tubes
• Tube-driven reverb and tremolo
• Two 10-inch Jensen Alnico P10Q
speakers mounted in a 45-degree
wedge
BY DAVE HUN TE R
two Jensen P10Q speakers mounted at

angles of approximately 45 degrees. The
design accentuates the stereo field but also
creates a sonic dead spot in the front-center
The GA-79RVT was of the amp that’s somewhat reduced when
offered with a choice
you move a distance away from it. Oddball
of a tweed or black
painted finish, as seen factor number two is the tubes used here:
in this example. three 6EU7s and a 7199 for preamp, reverb
and tremolo duties, as well as a 12AU7 phase
mono, while today, many GA-79RVT owners when in stereo mode). It’s also worth noting inverter and four 6BQ5s (EL84s) in the
use the amp set to its monaural mode. that this is one of the world’s earliest cathode-biased output stage. There’s no tube
Regardless, the stereo amp craze gave us reverb-equipped combos, alongside other rectifier; instead, silicone diodes provide
an extremely cool model in this V-front Gibson models like the GA-19RVT Falcon solid-state rectification that keeps the
combo, and it’s a desirable and collectible amp that inspired the new Falcons I looked at voltages slightly firmer at the tubes, leading
unit today. Manufactured between 1961 and last issue. Each of the GA-79RVT’s channels to a little less sag, although when cranked,
1967, the GA-79RVT is an oddball in many can be linked and fed together to both of the these amps still compress plenty. The design
ways. Although it’s a genuine stereo amplifier dual output stages, or aims for smooth,
intended to partner with Gibson’s stereo fed individually to its round, clean tones
guitars of the era, it can be used in a variety own stage and on to THOUGH IT ’S A RARE at low to medium
of configurations with any traditional mono its own speaker. volumes, but it yields
electric guitar. At heart, the GA-79RVT is The amp is
BIRD, THE GA-79RVT a sweetly textured
a fairly simple amp, more like two amps in often described as DOES N’ T FETC H crunch when you roll
one rather than a design that produces a producing “2x15 watts it up, with a slightly
stereo-like effect, such as the Magnatone in stereo mode or 30
AS MUC H AS ITS British-leaning voice,
260 and 280, or the Roland JC-120 Jazz watts in mono,” but SMA LL ER R IVALS thanks to the EL84s.
Chorus, which convert a mono guitar signal that’s kind of the same As for the
to stereo by slapping on vibrato or chorus thing. Whichever way the stereo-mono switch GA-79RVT’s rare-bird factor, 203 were made
effects with slightly different modulation is thrown, each speaker receives power from in 1961, 335 were manufactured at its peak of
applied to the left and right channels. its own two output tubes and an independent production in 1962 and just 39 were produced
As such, the GA-79RVT’s feature set output transformer. In other words, the in 1967, its final year. Even so, the GA-79RVT
is pretty straightforward. It has two switch doesn’t gang the output stage but doesn’t fetch as much money on the vintage
independent preamps with their own volume, rather feeds the two independent stages market as several smaller and arguably less
bass and treble controls (the latter using a common signal. interesting vintage rivals from other makers,
ganged potentiometers with stacked knobs), Oddball factor number one is, of course, and it can be a fun vintage find that delivers
plus tremolo and reverb (on channel 1 only the dramatic wedge-shaped cabinet, with unique and useful sounds.
Note the phono

inputs and center
input marked “stereo
accordion,” which
accepts a TRS plug
for stereo operation.
M A RC H 2 024 29
C O L U M N | VINYL TREASURES
BY JIM CAMPILO NGO
Sweet and Low

On My Guitar, George
Van Eps makes the best
case ever for playing
with seven strings.
I R ECA LL MY first guitar lessons at
Bronstein Music in South San Francisco with
Bunnie Gregoire. She was hip, way hipper than
I was. So when she brought the George Van
Eps Method for Guitar books for me to study.
I was not pleased. All I wanted to learn was
“Spoonful” from Cream’s Wheels of Fire. As
with most things Bunnie tried to teach me,
it took decades for me to realize how right
she was. Better late then never.
George Van Eps’ My Guitar album was
released on Capitol Records in 1966 and was
his third record as a leader. Van Eps isn’t the
household name it deserves to be. Among as he showcases everything interesting Captivating from the start, George’s take
other things, he pioneered seven-string guitar, about the composition. George could find the is once again miles away from obvious,
employing a standard six-string tuning with nooks and crannies in any song, sometimes with “Love Me Do” hiding coyly within his
the seventh string tuned down a fifth. Aside discovering what we mere mortals couldn’t arrangement. His performance of “I’ll Walk
from adding a world of bass counterpoint, hear. “Spanish Eyes” is followed by the first Alone” is defined by a great jaunt of chord
his style sounded amazingly smooth and two of five Beatles covers on the album: and bass movement, while his version of the
effortless, and was reminiscent of Lenny “And I Love Her,” a certified gem on which he Beatles’ “If I Fell” presents a straighter take
Breau, Ted Greene and, fittingly, to my ears, manages to swing while expressing the song’s on the tune — although he eventually drives
pianist Bill Evans. After all, George always smooth melancholy; and “All My Loving,” it off-road before returning to the song’s tried-
described his style as which is almost and-true path. “I’m Glad There Is You” and
“lap piano.” He knew unrecognizable as “It’s Been a Long Time” follow respectfully
he was onto ASI DE F ROM A DD I NG George elegantly before we reach my favorite piece, “Theme
something. A WO R LD O F BASS ekes out every bit of From ‘A Summer Place.’” I’ve always felt this
I have a few of Van counterpoint. After a song is an underrated and underplayed tune,
Eps’ LPs, but My Guitar
COU N TE R PO IN T, brief visit to the lovely but here George coaxes every nuance out of
is my favorite. It’s all GEORGE’S ST YL E IS “There Will Never Be it. Vibes add a subtle atmosphere while Mr.
about George playing Another You,” George Van Eps combines sweetness and virtuosity
solo guitar, except for
AM A ZI N G LY S MOOT H tackles another on this great rendition.
some percussion, A N D EF FO RT LESS Beatles classic, George Van Eps’ My Guitar is a wonderful
piano, vibes and “Yesterday.” His body of work that reveals him as an artist
marimba that are sparingly sprinkled in, as wondrous take on the song shows off his stretching the limits of guitar. Yes, I still love
if not to draw too much attention from Mr. arranging skills, full of counterpoint and Cream’s “Spoonful,” but George Van Eps
Van Eps’ virtuosity. I love that George never clever musical bass lines, as well as a bongo playing his lap piano is a smooth and serene
belabors the obvious. His interpretations accompaniment that gives the tune a unique rollercoaster ride through pop classics that’s
of these 12 contemporary classics are and new perspective. Side one comes to a well worth the price of admission.
uncompromising and deep. close with a deep and exquisite performance
Side one opens with a swinging “Spanish of the pop classic “Lollipops and Roses.” Jim Campilongo has 14 critically acclaimed
Eyes” that upon first listen had me trying to Side two finds George returning to the instrumental records available on vinyl, CD
place the song. His interpretation is innovative Beatles theme as it opens with “Love Me Do.” and digital download at jimcampilongo.com.
––––– P L A Y E R S | BILLY MORRISON –––––
S I G N AT U R E
M O M E N T
From the Cult to Billy Idol to his new star-studded solo
album and Knaggs signature axe, Billy Morrison’s rise to
become a rhythm guitar star shows the power of a good
right hand — and a whole lotta personality.
B Y J O E B O S S O
and tell me Malcolm Young didn’t drive
B
RITISH GUITARIST BILLY WRZQZDQWHGLQDQGWKHJLJVEHFDPH
Morrison estimates that he WKDWEDQGµKHVD\V´6DPHZLWKWKH6H[ DQ\WKLQJEXWGLVFUHHW
wasted a good 15 years of his 3LVWROV,W·VDOODERXW6WHYH-RQHV·UK\WKP $PRQJWKHSOD\HUVZKRWXUQHGXSWR
life shooting drugs. “I loved the playing. Those guys are tone merchants. &DPS)UHGG\MDPVZDV6WHYH6WHYHQV
Sex Pistols and Johnny 7KDW·VWKHFOXE,ZDQWHGWREHLQµ 7KHWZRJXLWDULVWVKLWLWRŲDQGZKHQ
Thunders, and I went down that route,” 7KLQJVWXUQHGDURXQGTXLFNO\³XQWLO Stevens resumed his partnership with
he says. “But most people get the music WKH\GLGQ·W0RUULVRQIRUPHGDEDQG %LOO\,GROKHEURXJKW0RUULVRQLQWRWKH
FDUHHUÀUVWDQGWKHQEORZWKHLUPRQH\ called Stimulator and signed a deal with fold as his guitar co-pilot. “Playing with
RQGUXJV,GLGLWEDFNZDUGµ *HŲHQEXWODEHOUHVWUXFWXULQJSXWWKH 6WHYHDQG%LOO\KDVEHHQWKHPRVW
By the mid ’90s, Morrison was facing JURXS·VFDUHHURQLFH´,WZDVDEOHVVLQJ UHPDUNDEOHH[SHULHQFHLQP\ZKROHOLIHµ
the end. He weighed 120 pounds and in disguise,” he says. “If I had success 0RUULVRQVD\V´:RUNLQJZLWKWKHPKDV
ZDVKRPHOHVV+H·GEHHQVWDEEHGDQGQR EDFNWKHQ,·GEHSOD\LQJVRPHFUDSKROH allowed me to grow as a musician so
one seemed to care. Even his friends had in the Valley right now for 10 people.” much. I don’t do what Steve does,
DEDQGRQHGKLP2QHQLJKWKHIRXQG +LVORQJWLPHSDO%LOO\'XŲ\WKUHZKLP EHFDXVH,FDQ·W³DQGZK\ZRXOG,HYHQ
KLPVHOIFURXFKLQJEHKLQGDJDUEDJHFDQ DOLIHOLQHZLWKDQLQYLWDWLRQWRSOD\EDVV WU\"+H·V6WHYH6WHYHQV%XW,·YHEHHQ
in London, trying to shoot heroin into IRUD\HDUORQJ&XOWWRXUDIWHUZKLFK DEOHWRHVWDEOLVKP\RZQLGHQWLW\DQG
FROODSVHGYHLQV´7KDW·VZKHQ,ÀQDOO\ 0RUULVRQUHORFDWHGWR/RV$QJHOHV VRXQGLQWKHEDQGDQG,·PVRJUDWHIXO
saw the light,” he says. “I said, ‘I’m Naturally gregarious, Morrison had IRUWKHLUEHOLHILQPHµ+HODXJKV´,W·V
done with this. I’m going to get clean SHRSOHVNLOOVWKDWZHQWDORQJZD\ EHHQ\HDUVZLWKWKHP7LPHGRHVÁ\
and have the career I always wanted Superstar musicians were drawn to the when you’re having fun.”
in music.’” SHUVRQDEOHHJROHVV%ULW+HURXQGHGXS Stevens guests on Morrison’s
+HKDGSOD\HGDELWRIJXLWDULQEDQGV DJURXSRIKLVQHZIULHQGV³'DYH IRUWKFRPLQJVRORDOEXPThe Morrison
DVDWHHQDJHUEXWDWWKHDJHRIKH Navarro, drummer Matt Sorum, singer Project, along with Steve Vai, John 5,
decided to get serious. Becoming a 'RQRYDQ/HLWFKDQGEDVVLVW6FRWW)RUG 2]]\2VERXUQHDQGRWKHUKLJKZDWWDJH
virtuoso shredder was the last thing on ³DQGIRUPHGDURFNDQGUROO5DW3DFN QDPHV2XWWKLV$SULOLW·VDIXQDQG
JAN E STUART
KLVPLQGEXWKHORYHGUK\WKPJXLWDU FDOOHG&DPS)UHGG\7KHJHQHUDOLGHD feisty set of full-throttle metal and

DQGVHWRXWWRPDNHKLVULJKWKDQGRQH ZDVWRSOD\FRYHUVDWORZNH\JLJVDQG HOHFWURURFNHUVRQZKLFK0RUULVRQVLQJV
RIWKHEHVWDURXQG´/LVWHQWR$&'& KDYHIXQ6RRQHQRXJKHYHU\ERG\LQ and plays the lion’s share of instruments.
“PEOPLE SKILLS ARE
I M P O R TA N T. A L O T
OF PEOPLE IN THIS
B U S I N E S S C A N P L AY
R I N GS A ROU N D M E ,
B U T T H E Y H AV E
SUCH AN EGO”
P L A Y E R S | BILLY MORRISON
+HHYHQWDNHVDKDQGRQVRPHVRORV VHULRXVO\,OHDUQDQGUHKHDUVH,PDNH ,WZDVQ·WDKDUGWUDQVLWLRQ%LOO\'XŲ\

´,PHDQ,FDQSOD\OHDGVDQGWKHDOEXP VXUHP\WRQHLVULJKWIRUWKHMRE,HQMR\ was a longtime friend and he said, “I
shows that I can solo,” he says. “I’ve EHLQJDIRLOIRUWKHRWKHUPXVLFLDQV NQRZ\RX·UHQRWDEDVVSOD\HUEXWLW·V
VWRRGRQVWDJHZLWKVRPHRIWKHEHVW ZKHUHDVPRVWSHRSOHMXVWZDQWLWWREH WKH&XOW,W·VDORWRI'WKQRWHV<RX·OO
players and held my own. DERXWWKHP EHDOOULJKWµ+HHQFRXUDJHGPH,VDZLW
´%XW,NQRZWKDW·VQRWUHDOO\ZKDW,·P ZDVDJUHDWRSSRUWXQLW\WRSOD\LQDELJ
KHUHWRGR)RUWXQDWHO\,·YHJRWDJRRG Let’s go back to when you decided to clean EDQGZLWKVRPHIULHQGV
5RORGH[DQGZDVDEOHWRJHWVRPHRIP\ up and get serious about music. You hadn’t
friends involved, and I’ve ended up with played for a long while. How did you get Just like that, you were in? Did you have
WKLVFUD]\DOEXPSURMHFWµ your guitar chops together so quickly? to audition?
,VWLOOKDGVRPHVNLOOVIURPZKHQ,ZDV 2K,DXGLWLRQHGIRUWKH&XOW7KHWKLQJ
You’re something of the poster guy for DNLG6HH,FRPHIURPDSXQNURFN is, I try to live my life with the motto
networking. It seems as if so much of your mentality, where it doesn’t matter how ´:KDWHYHUZLOOEHZLOOEHµ,GRQ·WKDYH
success has come from your ability to good you are, as long as you’ve got DORWRIIHDUZDONLQJLQWRVLWXDWLRQV,·P
make friends. something worth saying. I formed XQIDPLOLDUZLWKEXW\HDK>Cult frontman]
3HRSOHVNLOOVDUHLPSRUWDQW$ORWRI 6WLPXODWRUDQGZURWHDEXQFKRIVRQJV ,DQ$VWEXU\FDQEHLQWLPLGDWLQJ%LOO\
SHRSOHLQWKLVEXVLQHVVFDQSOD\ULQJV it was a lot of power chords and shit 'XŲ\FDQEHLQWLPLGDWLQJDQG,·YH
DURXQGPHEXWWKH\KDYHVXFKDQHJR that I could play. Behind the scenes, NQRZQKLPIRUHYHU,SOD\HGZLWKWKH
7KH\GRQ·WNQRZKRZWRLQWHUDFWZLWK ,ZRRGVKHGGHGTXLWHDELWDQGSXVKHG EDQGDQGDFRXSOHRIGD\VODWHUWKH\
RWKHUPXVLFLDQVRUHYHQNQRZKRZWR P\VHOI$QGWKHQ,JRWDVNHGWRMRLQWKH FDOOHGDQGVDLG,KDGWKHMRE,ZDVOLNH
JHWRQDWRXUEXV,·YHJRWWKDWVWXŲ &XOW:H·GEHSOD\LQJIRRWEDOOVWDGLXPV “Great. Let’s go!”
GRZQ,·PSHUVRQDEOHDQGHQMR\DEOH and arenas.
WREHDURXQG³,KRSH2QFH,JHWWR The gig with Billy Idol came from playing
DSOD\LQJVLWXDWLRQ,NQRZP\UROHDQG You joined the Cult as a bass player. Were with Steve Stevens in Camp Freddy. What
,WDNHSOD\LQJZLWKRWKHUPXVLFLDQVYHU\ you at all comfortable on the instrument? do you two have in common musically?
(from left) Steve

Stevens, Billy Idol
and Billy Morrison
perform at the
Pearl, in Las Vegas,
August 21, 2010.
E THAN MI LLE R/GE TTY I MAG ES
Stevens and
Morrison onstage at
Music Midtown in
Atlanta, Georgia,
September 19, 2015.
You do play a fair number of leads on your

album. I particularly like your soloing on
“Drowning.” That’s fiery and fluid stuff.
7KDQNV0\VRORVVWHPIURP-RKQQ\
7KXQGHUV6WHYH-RQHVDQG$QJXV<RXQJ
³,ORYHWKDWVWXŲ,NQRZKRZIDU,FDQ
JRZLWKDVROREXW,·PQRW(GGLH9DQ
+DOHQ,SUREDEO\SOD\GRZQP\VRORLQJ
WRRPXFK,UHPHPEHUSOD\LQJRQHQLJKW
ZLWK'DYH1DYDUURDQG%LOO\*LEERQV
%LOO\KDVDWKLQJKHGRHVRQVWDJH+H·OO
MXVWSRLQWDW\RXDQGWKDW·V\RXUVLJQDO
WRVROR+HSRLQWHGDWPHDQG,ZDVOLNH
6KLW,JRWWDJRIRULW$QGWKDW·VZKDW
,GLG$IWHUWKHJLJ%LOO\ZDVOLNH´7KDW
was really, really cool.” I was stunned,
EXWLWNLQGRINLFNHGPHLQWRSOD\LQJ
lead on other songs.
You’ve got Steve Stevens, John 5 and Steve

Vai playing solos on the album. Did you
give them any kind of direction for what
you were looking for?
+HOOQR7KHSHRSOHRQP\DOEXP³DOO
RIWKHP³ZHUHJLYHQFDUWHEODQFKHWR
do whatever they
2KDORW+HORYHVWKH'ROOVDQGWKH OLNH\RXPDQµ wanted. I mean, we
Pistols. But he pushed and can start with Steve
encouraged me, and “ I C O M E F R O M A P U N K 9DL+H·VRQHRIWKH
And prog rock. He can talk Yes and ZHZRUNHGRXWRXU R O C K M E N TA L I T Y. I T greatest lead players
Emerson, Lake and Palmer for days. styles. on the planet. How
>laughs] Yeah, well, we disagree there. D O E S N ’ T M AT T E R H O W GRHVVRPHERG\OLNH
$Q\ZD\WKHUHZDVDORQJKLDWXVZLWK Even so, you’re quite me say to him,
6WHYHDQG%LOO\EXWZKHQWKH\JRWEDFN comfortable being
GOOD YOU ARE, AS “What if you do
WRJHWKHU6WHYHZDQWHGLWWREHD the “bedrock” as a LONG AS YOU’VE this?” That isn’t
WZRJXLWDUEDQG+HWROG%LOO\´,·YH rhythm guitarist. JRQQDKDSSHQ2Q
got the guy,” and that was it. Billy is $EVROXWHO\:KHQ
GOT SOMETHING “Incite the Watch,”
VSHFWDFXODU+H·VDJUHDWERVVDQGKDV &DPS)UHGG\FDPH W O R T H S AY I N G ” ,NQHZ,ZDQWHGD
UHDOSXQNURRWV DERXWEHIRUH, WKUHHNH\FKDQJH
MRLQHG,GRO,ZDV solo over an
Steve is the de facto lead player in the SOD\LQJZLWK'DYH1DYDUUR1RZ'DYH LQRUGLQDWHSHULRGRIWLPH³WKDW·VDOO
band, but you two do play some intricate LVDSKHQRPHQDOSOD\HUEXW,KDGWKH ,NQHZ,VHQWWKHWUDFNWR6WHYHDQGVDLG
parts together. IRUHVLJKWWRVHHWKDWDVWURQJEHGURFN ´,WJRHVFUD]\IRUDORQJWLPHZLWKWKUHH
:HGR/RRN6WHYHLVRQHRIWKHJUHDWHVW XQGHUQHDWKKLPZDVJRLQJWRPDNHXV NH\FKDQJHV2Ų\RXJRPDWHµ
JXLWDUSOD\HUVLQWKHZRUOGDEVROXWHO\ VRXQGEHWWHU2QRXUVHFRQGJLJ6ODVK
There’s no way I could do what he does, came on as a guest. I’m standing there His lead break is beautifully composed. It
EXW,NQHZZKDWKHZDQWHGIRUD with him, and again, I saw the need for starts out legato and spacey and builds to
twin-guitar thing. I wasn’t supposed to a good solid foundation underneath him. a dramatic flurry of notes.
MXVWGRWKLVEHGURFNWKLQJVRKHFRXOG The more I play with great lead players, $EVROXWHO\+HVHQWLWEDFNDQGLWZDV
PAUL R. G IUNTA/ WIRE I MAG E
SOD\7KH\ZDQWHGGLŲHUHQWWRQHVDQG WKHPRUH,DSSUHFLDWHP\SRVLWLRQ,OLNH perfect. It was the same scenario with

WH[WXUHV,WZDVDOLWWOHVFDU\DWÀUVW EHLQJDUK\WKPSOD\HU2IFRXUVHLWJRHV -RKQRQ´7KH$\HV+DYH,Wµ,GLGQ·W
6WHYHZRXOGEHSOD\LQJWKLVFUD]\WKLQJ EDFNWRZKDW,OLVWHQWR:KHQ,KHDU have to tell him anything.
DQGKH·GZDONRYHUDQGJR´&DQ\RX ´*RG6DYHWKH4XHHQµRU´$QDUFK\LQWKH
SOD\DWKLUGDERYHWKLVDQGZH·OOGRD 8.µE\WKH6H[3LVWROVP\KDLUVWDQGV Was it different with Steve Stevens on the
KDUPRQ\"µ,·GEHOLNH´1R,FDQ·WSOD\ up with that rhythm guitar. song “Crack Cocaine”?
P L A Y E R S | BILLY MORRISON
“ K N AG GS SA I D Y ES
TO EVERYTHING —
EVEN THE COLOR,
W H I C H WAS V E RY
I M P O R TA N T T O M E ”
K NAGGS GUITARS ; JANE STUART (MORRI SON )
Billy Morrison’s Knaggs

Kenya J-M signature model
is based on the Kenya J and
has P90 pickups and
a white-cream finish based
on Steve Jones’ Les Paul.
Idol, Stevens and
Morrison perform
onstage at the first
iHeart80s Party,
February 20, 2016.
:HOO\HDKEHFDXVHWKHWKUHHRIXVZURWH DQG>his business Paul, which started

WKHVRQJWRJHWKHU³PH6WHYHDQG2]]\ partner@3HWHU>Wolf], RXWDV$OSLQH:KLWH
2VERXUQH6WHYHZDVDEOHWRORRNXVLQ and they came to a “I LISTEN TO NEW EXWWKURXJK\HDUVRI
WKHH\HVDQG2]]\ZDVJRLQJ´)XFNLQJ gig. We were MUSIC ALL THE TIME FLJDUHWWHVPRNHDQG
KHOOWKDW·VJUHDWµ,WZDVNLQGRI WDONLQJDQG,·P EHHULWEHFDPH
SUHGHWHUPLQHGZKHUHLWZRXOGJRMXVW pretty direct, so AND GET INSPIRED yellowish cream.
’cause we were all in the same room. I started saying, *LEVRQGLGWKDWDQG
´:HOO\HDKEXW,
B Y PA S S I O N M O R E ,DVNHG.QDJJVWR
Speaking of Steve Stevens, like him, you’re would do this, this THAN THE NOTES replicate that. They
coming out with your own signature model DQGWKDWµ$QGWKH\ GLGWKDWWRR³WKH\
from Knaggs, the Kenya J-M. went, “Well, why
T H E Y ’ R E P L AY I N G ” called it “Nico
7KDW·VULJKW,GLGD*LEVRQ/HV3DXO GRQ·WZHPDNHD &UHDPµ>laughs]
VLJQDWXUHPRGHODERXW\HDUVDJR Billy Morrison signature?” I said, “Let’s
which was wonderful. I’m a Les Paul JRµ7KH\EXLOWPHRQHWKDW·VEH\RQGP\ We’ve talked about a lot of your older
guy, and that guitar came out exactly as wildest imagination. guitar influences. Do you seek out new
,ZDQWHG$VWLPHKDVJRQHRQZLWK%LOO\ music or players to inspire you?
,GRO,·YHEHHQXVLQJ3VPRUHDQG Can you give me some specifics? ,·PLQVSLUHGGDLO\E\6WHYH6WHYHQV
PRUH6WHYHOLNHVWKDWEHFDXVHKH·V ,ZDQWHGDWKLFNHUERG\DQGWKH\VDLG When we’re onstage, I watch him play
KE VI N W INTE R/G ETTY I MAG ES FOR IH EARTME DI A
SOD\LQJKLV.QDJJV66&ZKLFKIRUDOO “We can do that.” Next, I said that I VWXŲWKDWKDVQHYHUFRPHIURPKLV

intents and purposes is a twin- ZDQWHGQRLVHOHVVSLFNXSV%HFDXVHRIWKH ÀQJHUVLQWKH\HDUV,·YHEHHQLQWKH
KXPEXFNHUPDKRJDQ\ERG\7KDQNVWR volume and distortion we use, if there’s EDQG,VD\WRKLP´:KDWGLG\RXGRRQ
6WHYHDQG.QDJJV,·YHJRWDEXQFKRI dynamics in a song, or if there’s a period ¶%OXH+LJKZD\·WRQLJKW"µ$QGKHVD\V
66&VDQG,·YHORYHGWKHP7KHEXLOG where we don’t play, you’ve got this hum ´,KDYHQRLGHDµ7REHWKDWÁXLGRQ\RXU
TXDOLW\ZDVMXVWVSHFWDFXODU FRPLQJRXWRIWKH3$7KH\WRRNFDUHRI LQVWUXPHQW³WKDWLQVSLUHVPH%XW,GR
7KHQWKH\EURXJKWRXWWKHLU.HQ\D- WKDW7KHQ,VDLG,ZDQWHGMXPERIUHWV love new music. I listen to it all the time,
which has the P90s. They sent me one EHFDXVH,KDYHIDWÀQJHUV7KH\VDLG\HV DQG,JHWLQVSLUHGE\SDVVLRQPRUHWKDQ
DQG,VWDUWHGSOD\LQJLW7KH3VÀW,GRO to everything. Even the color, which was WKHQRWHVWKH\·UHSOD\LQJ,I,EHOLHYHWKH
perfectly, along with Steve over on the YHU\LPSRUWDQWWRPH,W·VEDVLFDOO\D artist and the song and I feel it, that’s
KXPEXFNHUV,JRWWRNQRZ-RH>Knaggs] ZKLWHFUHDPEDVHGRQ6WHYH-RQHV·/HV when I go, “How did that happen?”
––––– P L A Y E R S | CHARLIE STARR –––––
WHERE
THERE’S
SMOKE Charlie Starr tells how Fender Champs
and Princetons allowed Blackberry Smoke
to play together in the studio to make their
blazing-hot new album, Be Right Here.
B Y A L A N P A U L
A
S BLACKBERRY GLŲHUHQWURRP,QWKLVFDVHKRZHYHU
SMOKE recorded their producer Dave Cobb pushed them to use
eighth studio album, smaller amps, which allowed everyone
Be Right Here (3 Legged to play together in one room, and that
Records/Thirty Tigers), ended up being a key decision.
the sessions developed a greater sense of “You can’t work that way in every
gravity and intensity. The cause? studio, but RCA A is large enough and
Drummer Brit Turner was battling brain there’s enough room to spread out and
cancer. But as guitarist Charlie Starr not bleed into each other’s mics,” Starr
VD\V7XUQHU·VLOOQHVVKDGWKHHŲHFWRI says. “And though that wasn’t the intent,
making the sessions at Nashville’s famed LWPDGHDELJGLŲHUHQFHWRVWDQGWKHUH
RCA Studio A more fun and memorable. and watch Brit play.”
“It was so good for us to be making In addition to Starr and Turner,
music with Brit as he was undergoing Blackberry Smoke includes Brit’s brother
treatment,” Starr says. “I think that Richard on bass, percussionist Preston
whole thing really brought us closer, just Holcomb, keyboardist Brandon Still and
knowing that one of our brothers needed guitarists Paul Jackson and Benji Shanks.
love and support. I think it gave the The band uses the three guitars with
record some urgency.” notable technique and restraint, creating
ANDY SAPP
The band “always records live,” Starr weaving lines and textures that enhance
says, but usually with the drummer in a and undergird the songs without
P L A Y E R S | CHARLIE STARR
overwhelming them. We caught up with Life on the road and in the grind can wear that: “Look at them go after 50 years
Starr to discuss Be Right Here and the people down and create tensions. Do you together!”
current state of all things Blackberry. think that having such steady membership
has helped you forge a brotherhood that You’ve seen a lot of your heroes up close.
You guys have a pair of brothers in Brit and helps keep things nice and stable? Have you had other similar experiences?
Richard, but the band has been together Yeah, I think so. When you reach a Oh sure. I also always appreciated the
for over 20 years now, an admirably long certain point, there’s a comfort level Skynyrd experience and the way that
run that kind of makes you all brothers. and a joint sense of purpose that comes they carried on the music after going
We formed in 2001, but I started playing without taking anything for granted. We through so much tragedy. And the
ZLWK%ULWWDQG5LFKDUGLQ·LQ%XŲDOR did three pretty long tours with ZZ Top [Allman] Brothers, too, who found ways
Nickel, which was the band of the over the years, and I would watch Billy to carry on. Toward the end, the Warren/
excellent singer/songwriter Gary Stier. and Dusty interact before they walked Derek band had so much respect for the
That was more or less Americana music, out onstage, when Frank was already music and legacy and it showed in the
and as we were all getting ready to move at his kit. Once I saw Billy put his arm way they carried themselves and played.
on, I realized that we have a special around Dusty and felt so honored to see It was just real and tangible, and it’s
wobble together. It was as simple as something that is going to live on. There
saying, “I like the way my guitar sounds will always be people who say “they
with your drums and bass,” and we all “WHEN YOU EXPERIENCE shouldn’t continue after so-and-so died”
agreed and wanted to try and do but people want to hear those songs and
something together. My songs were MORTALITY UP CLOSE, live in that music, and it can be done
EDVHGDURXQGPRUHPXVFXODUULŲV³ IT MAKES THINGS respectfully and with integrity.
I guess you could call it southern rock
³WKDQZKDWZHZHUHGRLQJLQ%XŲDOR
JUST A LITTLE How is Brit doing? Did his medical
Nickel, and we all wanted to see where MORE PRECIOUS” problems give you a greater appreciation
we could take them. of the band and playing together?
(from left) RIchard

Turner, Brandon Still,
Charlie Starr, Brit
Turner, Paul Jackson,
Benji Shanks and
Preston Holcomb.
He’s doing great. It put a magnifying
glass on everything: the way we
interacted, the moods we were in, the
way we played. It felt special to me.
I was really focused on the way that we
turned the corner musically. The band
WKDW\RX·UHLQKDVVXFKDÀQJHUSULQW
You never know that so clearly as when
you play with somebody else. I was kind
RIMXVWVRDNLQJLWXS³HQMR\LQJRXU
ÀQJHUSULQWDQGPDNLQJPXVLFWRJHWKHU
Mortality is such a real thing, and when (from left) Starr, INSIDE
you’re forced to experience it up close it
THE RIGS
Shanks and Jackson
makes things just a little more precious.
This is your second album with Dave Cobb

Blackberry Smoke’s guitar
producing. Other than the live-in-one- trio share the gear behind
room thing, how did he impact the music? Be Right Here.
When I was working on the material and
had written 15 or 16 songs, Dave gave Charlie Starr
PHVSHFLÀFLQVWUXFWLRQV+HVDLG´,ZDQW GU I TARS 1964 Gibson ES-335, 1964 Gibson
to make a little-amp record and record ES-330, 1958 Fender Telecaster, 1963 Fender
with Champs and Princetons.” And Esquire, 1962 Fender Esquire Custom, 1956
doing so changed a lot. We built a little Gibson Les Paul Junior (at left), 1958 Gibson LP
ZDOORIDPSOLÀHUVDQGWKHQZHZHQW Junior, 1967 Rickenbacker Rose Morris 330, 1950
through and chose amps for each song. Martin D-28, 1952 Martin D-18, 1955 Gibson J-45
Apparently the Layla record was the
VDPH³(ULF&ODSWRQDQG'XDQH$OOPDQ AM PS 1965 Fender Champ, early ’60s
ANDY SAPP (BAN D, OP POS ITE) ; WIL L I RE LAND/ FUTURE (L ES PAUL) ; GONZAL ES PH OTO/ TE RJ E DO K K EN ( BAND, THIS PAG E)
were playing through Champs and facing Magnatone Troubadour, early ’60s Supro Super,
each other, and that’s what we did. The late-’60s Vox Defiant, Leslie cabinet
little amps just have a cool voice. You
can hear the paper in the cones moving, EF FECTS ’90s Menatone Red Snapper,
and the sound and the setup really made ’70s Echoplex EP-3, Analogman King of Tone,
DGLŲHUHQFHWRP\VLQJLQJ Analogman SunFace, Klon KTR
Dave Cobb is really involved, even
sitting in there with a shaker sometimes. Benji Shanks
And he’s an analog guy. His method is GU I TARS 1960 Gibson Les Paul Junior, 1955
completely organic, and he wanted that it was one of the ones that the band Fender Strat, 1965 Gibson Firebird III, 1967
to extend to our approach. He wanted didn’t know. We all got in a circle, and Gibson ES-125, Gibson Les Paul R9 (Historic
for the album to be brand new, not I knelt down and played the song. Dave Makeovers), Gibson goldtop F-5 mandolin
rehearsed. He asked me not to show said, “It needs to be big, not as much a
the other guys the songs, though it was ballad.” And it grew legs when we put AM PS 1965 Fender Vibro Champ
already too late for some. We’ve always on harmony guitars and I wrote those
been a band that’s rehearsed and ready parts on the spot. It found its EF FECTS Cry Baby wah, Klon Centaur silver,
to go in the studio. It’s just being arrangement as a big song. MXR Phase 45 and Phase 100, Echoplex EP-3,
prepared, because studio time is Fulltone Supa-Trem, Analogman Astro Tone
expensive. I can’t imagine making A lot of your songs are based around big fuzz, Kendrick tube reverb
an entire record this way. It feels like riffs. Do they come first, or do you write
something spoiled rich people do! on acoustic and then compose them? Paul Jackson
,W·VXVXDOO\ULŲÀUVWDQGLWPLJKWMXVW GU I TARS 1979 Gibson Les Paul Standard,
Can you point out a song that really happen at soundcheck or something. 1958 Gibson ES-335, 1979 Gibson ES-335, 1991
changed because of this approach? Sometimes it starts with a melody and Gibson 40th Anniversary LP
“Barefoot Angel,” the last song on the chord structure, but being a guitar player
record. [Singer-songwriter] Adam Hood ÀUVWDQGIRUHPRVW,ÀQGPRVWRIWKHP AM PS ’60s Gibson GA-6 Lancer, ’50s
and I wrote it on acoustic guitars, and FRPHIURPWKHULŲ Rickenbacker M-11, 1965 Fender Vibro Champ
P L A Y E R S | CHARLIE STARR
So you feel like guitar comes first, not

singing or songwriting or bandleading?
I do. It’s what I love most. It’s not that
I don’t get joy from singing, because I
do. It’s also a form of self-expression,
and the songs need to be sung, but there
are times where I think, I don’t feel like
singing today, but never, I’m tired; I can’t
play guitar today. Never. That’s always
there and always a joy.
Do you think you could have been happy

as the lead guitar player in someone
else’s band?
I do! I think I could have been just
as happy. I went out and did a month
as guitarist in the Black Crowes to
help them out, and it was extremely
enjoyable. They are one of my favorite
bands, but while I knew the songs I had
WRUHDOO\PDVWHULWZDVWKHÀUVWWLPHWKDW
I had sit down and learn a lot of songs. It
was a good exercise. But as much as
I enjoyed that whole experience, when
we came back and played a Blackberry Starr poses with his
main guitar, the 1956
show, I thought, This is my true home.
Les Paul Junior that he
This is where I’m meant to be. calls “the heart of
Blackberry Smoke.”
I really enjoy your acoustic playing as well.
You don’t play it like an electric guy, if you
know what I mean. Dead’s “Mississippi Uptown Half Step
I do. And thank you! My dad is a hobby “I’VE NEVER THOUGHT, Toodeloo.” He’s an exceptionally special
bluegrass player, and that’s where the ‘I’M TIRED; I CAN’T musician, the kind who comes around
bug comes from. Listening to him sing once in a blue moon, and you don’t have
and play instilled the desire in me. As
PLAY GUITAR TODAY.’ to be a musician to experience what
soon as my hands got big enough to play NEVER. THAT’S ALWAYS he’s doing. He’s got the magnetism of
a chord, I asked him to teach me some, a troubadour who can transcend genre.
and I never truly looked back.
THERE AND
ALWAYS A JOY” It’s cool that you did “Mississippi Half
You immediately knew guitar was it? Step.” What is your relationship to the
I think I really did. I just knew that Dead’s music?
music was my thing. I wasn’t good at it. He was so excited when we recorded ,ORYHLW,ÀQGLWWREHH[WUHPHO\
sports or other things, but I could make with George Jones and when he saw a American, for lack of a better term. They
a tune. I was six when he gave me my clip of me and Billy Strings at the Ryman were a melting point of American music:
ÀUVWJXLWDUDQG,JRWDQHOHFWULFJXLWDU [Auditorium, Nashville, home of the Grand gospel, blues, jazz, folk, country…and
when I was 11, but my dad wasn’t Ole Opry]. Billy and I met on Instagram the Celtic folk song murder ballads that
interested in that. A lot of those old guys during lockdown and he asked me for were so important to country. I didn’t
fall in love with bluegrass, and they want Jimmy Herring’s phone number, which really get into this until about 15 years
it one way and one way only. I love that I shared. He said, “I love Jimmy so ago, but it’s a rich vein.
W ILL I REL AN D/ FUTURE
about him. much. He’s a Jedi.” We agreed on that! We also did a session with Bob Weir
I invited him to sit in when we did at his TRI Studios, which we put out as
He may not relate to your music, but I bet a livestream in an empty Ryman. We did a DVD. We used little amps there, too.
he’s proud of you. “I’m Here to Get My Baby Out of Jail” Bob said, “I don’t want it to be loud,”
He is very proud, and he lets me know as a duo and he played electric on the and it was an amazing experience.
————— P L A Y E R S | KIM THAYIL —————
Packed with hits like “Spoonman,” “Fell on Black

Days” and “Black Hole Sun,” Superunknown made
Soundgarden the reigning kings of grunge.
Thirty years on, Kim Thayil recalls, “It didn’t
budge the meter from everything sucking.”
B Y J O E B O S S O
B
I G T H I N G S W E R E expected of Nirvana and Pearl Jam, dropped two albums
Soundgarden back in 1989. The Seattle-based — Nevermind and Ten, respectively — that exploded
hard-rock quartet consisting of guitarist- on the charts. The grunge revolution was now in
singer Chris Cornell, lead guitarist Kim full bloom, but Soundgarden were still awaiting
Thayil, bassist Hiro Yamamoto and drummer their day in the sun.
Matt Cameron were already being cited as pioneers “It did make you go, ‘Hey, wait a minute!’ ”
of a new sound called “grunge,” one that blended Thayil recalls. “You think, We’ve been doing all this
the aesthetics of heavy metal, punk and alternative work, we’re touring Europe and the U.S. in vans,
rock. After releasing the EPs Screaming Life and Fopp DQGWKHQVRPHERG\HOVHUHOHDVHVWKHLUÀUVWUHFRUG
on the Sub Pop label, and a debut album, Ultramega and they’re in a bus and getting a nicer payday. You
OK, on SST, the band had signed a major-label deal think that initially — these guys got signed and
with A&M Records. their record is Platinum — but then you think,
But commercial success didn’t come quickly or :HOO¬ZHRSHQHGGRRUVIRURXUVHOYHVDQGRXU
HDVLO\IRU6RXQGJDUGHQ7KHLUÀUVWDOEXPIRU$ 0 friends, but at the same time they also opened
1989’s Louder Than Love, earned glowing reviews, doors for us. We were getting attention, and our
and college radio stations jumped on hard-driving audience was growing slowly. There were other
KARJ EAN LE VIN E /G E TTY I MAG ES
tracks like “Loud Love” and “Hands All Over.” But bands that never had that kind of success. I’m
the record stalled at number 108 on Billboard, and thinking of Mudhoney, Tad and the Screaming Trees
by the time the band released their next album, — great critical acclaim and great press, but they
1991’s %DGPRWRUÀQJHU, one of their fellow Seattle never had the sales.”
bands, Alice in Chains, had gone Platinum with But Soundgarden’s day was coming, thanks to
Facelift. Meanwhile, two other groups from the area, %DGPRWRUÀQJHU. With new bassist Ben Shepherd
P L A Y E R S | KIM THAYIL
added to the band’s ambitious songwriting team, Chili Peppers and Soul Asylum, the record was a
6RXQGJDUGHQ·VXQLTXHEOHQGRIZDOORSLQJULŲVDQG major leap forward on all levels. Throughout its
widescreen hooks, combined with unorthodox WUDFNVWKHJURXSFKDQQHOHGLQÁXHQFHVOLNH
guitar tunings and arty psychedelia, had resulted in WKH%HDWOHVDQG/HG=HSSHOLQZLWKRXWVDFULÀFLQJ
a record packed with cuts like “Outshined,” “Rusty punk-rock urgency or their own distinctive sound.
Cage” and “Jesus Christ Pose” that ultimately won Pummeling grinders like “4th of July,” “Limo
over rock and alternative radio — and perhaps more Wreck” and “Mailman” enthralled existing fans,
importantly, MTV. Over the course of two years, the ZKLOHDÁHHWRIWXUEXOHQWKRRNÀOOHGVLQJOHV³
album sold more than a million copies (by 1996 it “Spoonman,” “My Wave,” “Fell on Black Days,”
ZDVFHUWLÀHGGRXEOH3ODWLQXP DQGDVWKHEDQG “The Day I Tried to Love” and the album’s across-
toured relentlessly (at times opening for Guns N’ the-board smash, “Black Hole Sun” — brought in
5RVHV WKHVWDJHZDVVHWIRUWKHLUJUDQGHVW scores of new converts. Immediately hailed as a
adventure: the 1994 monster, Superunknown. PDVWHUSLHFHXSRQLWVUHOHDVHRQ0DUFK¬¬
Everything that was great about Soundgarden Superunknown debuted at number one on the
— the band’s dynamic and intuitive interplay, Billboard 200 album chart and went on to sell
7KD\LO·VVQDJJOHWRRWKHGULŲVDQGVFDOGLQJVRORV more than six million copies.
Cornell’s transcendent vocals (sensuous crooning Thayil remembers being on a press tour in
Kim Thayil (left) RQHPRPHQWHSLFURDUVWKHQH[W DQGWKHJURXS·V (QJODQGZKHQKHDQGKLVEDQGPDWHVÀUVWKHDUGWKDW
and Chris Cornell rapidly maturing songcraft (which balanced far-out Superunknown would hit number one. “We were in
pose for a portrait experimentation with sharp, pop-minded an elevator, and our manager, Susan Silver, gave us
in New York City, VHQVLELOLWLHV ³FDPHWRJHWKHUVSHFWDFXODUO\RQ the news,” he says. “We kind of looked at each
December 1, 1993,
shortly after the
Superunknown. other and smiled, but we didn’t fully understand
completion of Co-produced by the band and Michael Beinhorn, what it meant. We were happy, but there were no
Superunknown. who had previously helmed hits for the Red Hot VWUHDPHUVRUSDUW\SRSSHUVRUFKDPSDJQHÁRZLQJ
It didn’t impact us the way it should have.”
Consuming Thayil’s thoughts was the recent
breakup of a longtime personal relationship. “We’d
been together for 10 years, and it hit a point where,
in spite of work over the next few months to try
to retrieve and maintain the relationship, it was
done,” he recalls. Making matters worse, soon after,
he — along with others in the tight-knit Seattle
community — would be rocked by Kurt Cobain’s
suicide just one month after Superunknown’s release.
“My personal life and things involving our
colleagues and peers hit their nadir,” Thayil recalls,
“but our professional life was at its zenith with the
record hitting number one and being on the cover
of Rolling Stone. I know the success should have
meant something, but it didn’t budge the meter
from everything sucking. I wish we could have
had the experience at another time.”
Sadly, Superunknown would be Soundgarden’s
high point. Its follow-up, 1996’s Down on the Upside,
wasn’t as successful, and the group broke up in
1997 due to internal tensions.
But today, 30 years later, Thayil looks back
at Superunknown and calls it “easily among our
three best albums,” alongside %DGPRWRUÀQJHU and

Screaming Life. “I also have no problem with people
who say it’s our best album. I particularly like
Superunknown, not because of its success and songs
like ‘Black Hole Sun’ or ‘Spoonman,’ but because
of its ambience and its feel. It’s got everything
a rock band should bring to an album, namely
songwriting and performances. It’s not with everything
“I SAID TO THE
(from left) Cornell,
Thayil, Ben a dance record on which the producer but the guitar solos.
Shepherd and
Matt Cameron.
means something. It’s not a record from GUYS, ‘METALLICA’S ,PRGLÀHGDIHZ
chords to make
During the making
of Superunknown,
WKH·VZKHUH\RXÀQGVRPHVLQJHUWR
actualize the songs you’ve written on
MANAGER EXPECTS IT them suspended
Thayil says, SLDQRDQG\RXÀQGDQDUUDQJHUWRWKURZ TO BE HUGE.’ A LOT or seventh to add
“Everybody, even other instruments in. This is a rock a shimmer or
Matt, brought
band, and all the work is done by the
OF PEOPLE KNEW IT brightness here or
in guitars for
us to play rock band.” COULD BE BIG” there, along with
around with.” the guitar solos and
Superunknown is poppier and more radio friendly than incidental noises — what we call “color parts” to
the band’s previous albums. Was that by design? Did augment the ambience Michael Beinhorn created.
you guys have discussions in which you said, “We’ve ,JLYHFUHGLWWR0LFKDHOIRUKHOSLQJXVGHÀQH
gone this far. How can we reach the next level?” the room that the album existed in, but there was
Never. We didn’t treat it like a video game, like, also the guy who mixed it, Brendan O’Brien, who
´:H·YHNQRFNHGRŲDOOWKHEDGGLHV/HW·VJHWWRWKH probably got those elements in there, as well;
QH[WOHYHODQGÀQGWKHPDLQERVVµ:HNQHZWKDW and Jason Corsaro, the chief engineer — he was
growth and ascension would occur by being true designing a lot of the mic setups and dialing in
to ourselves and liking what we were doing. those sounds. At one point, we were talking
It’s how we treated our live shows: If we like a co-production credit for everyone, like,
what we’re doing and there’s 50 people out there, Soundgarden, Beinhorn, Jason Corsaro.
the next time we come through town there will be
60 people there. We had no idea it might be a few Without mentioning names, did the band talk to other
hundred people, but we weren’t aiming for that. We producers before going with Michael Beinhorn?
liked what we did, we liked our fans, and our fans We did talk to others. The record label liked the
liked what we did and wanted to watch us grow. choice [of Michael Beinhorn]. They gave us a list of his
Our standard of satisfaction was based on that. records, and we thought, Wow, look at some of the
ROSS HALFIN
people he’s worked with. The bands he worked with

Did you make elaborate demos of any of the material? reached out and were like, “No, no, no!” [laughs]
Chris made some. He brought us “Black Hole Sun” They said, “Yes, he can help you make a great record,
No. There’s some quote Beinhorn made to that

HŲHFWEXWQR7KHUH·VVRQJVWKDW&KULVGLGQ·WSOD\
on, but there’s no song that I didn’t play on. On
“Black Hole Sun,” I played the solos, the color parts
and the chorus, but I didn’t play on the verse.
Why was that?

What I remember is the arpeggios. Now, I love
playing arpeggios when you have delay or chorus on
them, maybe some sustain or distortion. We would
double them with high stringing from a 12-string
guitar. [Producer] Terry Date introduced us to that
on Louder Than Love.
But the “Black
Soundgarden but his process is going to cause friction “THE ‘BLACK HOLE Hole Sun” arpeggios
pose outside DQGGLűFXOW\ZLWKLQWKHEDQGµ:HZHUH were stylistically
Tokyo’s Roppongi
told this by almost everybody we spoke SUN’ ARPEGGIOS unusual for me.
Prince Hotel,
February 8, 1994. to who had worked with him: “This is WERE LIKE LITTLE I’ve described it as
going to be problematic.” Of course, sounding like the
we were like, “We’re us, not you.” We FAIRIES DANCING ON right side of a piano,
always had this kind of arrogance. THE HEAD OF A PIN. or little fairies
We thought we were strong personalities dancing on the
and weren’t going to be easily bowed.
I THOUGHT, THIS head of a pin like
I should clarify, I’m talking about the IS NOT ME…” ballerinas. It was
process, not Michael Beinhorn the very delicate, and
SHUVRQ2ŲWKHFORFN,JRWDORQJJUHDWZLWK I thought, This is not me. Chris said, “You’re good
him. We’d drink overpriced Scotch and joke about at arpeggios. Go ahead and do it.”
books and literature. We got along great with the I’d start to do it, but halfway through I’d fuck
engineers, Jason Corsaro and Adam Kasper. But up. I was like, “All right, punch me in.” But they
the actual process made this one of the more said they couldn’t punch me in because I was going
GLűFXOWUHFRUGVZHKDGZRUNHGRQ,·PQRWWKH through a Leslie cabinet. You can’t punch in if the
only one who experienced frustrations. speaker is rotating because it’s always going to be
LQDGLŲHUHQWSRVLWLRQ6RLWZDVOLNH´.LP\RX
have to play the whole thing straight through or
KOH HAS EBE /SHI NKO MUSI C/G ETTY I MAG ES (BAND) ; TI M MOSE NFE LDE R/G ETTY I MAGES (T HAYI L )
What exactly were those frustrations? Were they from
the amount of time you spent recording? HOVHWKHGLŲHUHQFHLQWKHVZHHSZLOOEHQRWLFHDEOHµ
There’s no single point of contention, but yes, the Every time I tried it, I would fuck up. I looked
time-consuming aspects put a stress on our playing at Chris and Beinhorn and said, “Can’t we add the
or on our ears. You get a certain degree of fatigue Leslie in later?” Well, we couldn’t do that, and it
from having to listen to the same thing over and started psyching me out. I’d get two-thirds through
over again, or by having to play the same part over and be like, “Argh!” Finally, I told Chris, “You wrote
and over again for a matter of hours. And it’s not the part — you track it!” I thought he would do it
as if things will always get better the more you play better than me. He started tracking it, and I went out
them; if anything, they’ll get worse because of in the lobby and had some tea. After 20 minutes, I
fatigue and lack of focus. went back in and looked at Chris. He shook his head
Sometimes that repetition wasn’t to elicit and said, “Let’s try it again.” In the end, he was less
a particular performance, but rather it was to dial likely to be psyched out than me. He did the part,
in a sound. That’s a ridiculous thing to do. You and I was like, “Whew! I’ll play on the next part.”
can record the performance and then dial it in from
there or whatever. Meanwhile, you’re wasting time Your solo on the song is fantastic — very aggressive
and causing fatigue. That said, it’s a great record, and unpredictable.
but it probably could have been made without that Thank you. It was punched in. [laughs] We partly
NLQGRIFRQÁLFWDQGIULFWLRQ composed that way. I learned that many of my
heroes did that. You play a solo and go, “Take two
Did Chris play more guitar on Superunknown than on KDVVRPHEHWWHUVWXŲJRLQJRQWKDQWDNHRQH&DQ
previous albums? we edit it?” It’s called “comping.”
Were solos your exclusive domain, or did Chris the early days, or I’d have a little cassette. I didn’t
sometimes hint at what he wanted? want to interfere with the whole process by
On demos, he might have put in a reference thing, spending time pushing buttons and hitting rewind
or he’d say if he had an idea for delay. There were or whatever. I was like, I’ll remember this. We’re
FDVHVZKHUHKH·GSXWDSDUWLFXODUHŲHFWRQEXWKH·G practicing in a couple days, so I’ll just bring these
say, “You can play whatever you want. It’s just for things in.
reference.” He never pushed that. He couldn’t play
lead because there were physical limitations. He had Did Ben and Matt operate the same way?
injured his wrist — I think he broke it as a kid — so ,WYDULHG%HQZRXOGEULQJLQULŲVEXWVRPHWLPHV
he couldn’t play fast leads. But we could do twin KH·GUHFRUGDULŲDQGVRPHWLPHVKH·GIRXUWUDFN
leads. Like in the early days, on the song “Little Joe” something and bring in a demo. Matt would do the
— toward the end we’re both soloing. The fast funky same thing. Chris liked bringing in demos because
thing is me, and the bending, droney thing is Chris. he liked to put the song’s best foot forward. I think
I liked to double-track solos. Without listening KHWKRXJKWWKDWLIKHEURXJKWLQDULŲDQG,GLGQ·W
WRWKHÀUVWRQH,·GSOD\DQRWKHURQHEOLQG<RX·G like it, then the song wouldn’t happen. But if he
get this serendipitous enjoyment when they brought in the demo with the drums and the vocal
matched up, and then this weird, insane chaos ideas, then it was a better presentation of the song
psychedelia when they didn’t. and it was more likely to be understood by the rest
Thayil performs of us. It makes sense.
onstage with Just to clarify, you didn’t do demos of the songs you You referred to Superunknown as being poppier,
Soundgarden at
the San Jose State
brought in? and that’s because Chris, as a singer, wrote songs
Event Center, ,MXVWEURXJKWLQVRQJVRUULŲV,·GJR´+HUH·VDSDUW that were always a little more popular. There’s
June 3, 1994. here’s the B part.” I committed things to memory in something I felt since I was kid, and it was true of
$HURVPLWK7KHUHDUH-RH3HUU\ULŲVDQGWKHUHDUH
6WHYHQ7\OHUULŲVZKLFKDOZD\VVHHPHGWREHPRUH
vocal friendly. Chris wrote songs that were often
going to be more radio friendly. We could have cool
PHWDOULŲVRUFUD]\DUWPHWDODQGZHFRXOGKDYHD
song that was strong and poppy and radio friendly.
It would be stupid to exclude a song because it
was likable. For instance, a song like “Slaves and
Bulldozers” might not appeal to radio programmers,
but it sure sounds like Soundgarden. “Fell on Black
Days” does both.
I was going to mention “Fell on Black Days.” There’s a

little instrumental break that has an almost Middle
Eastern or Indian flavor to it.
That’s part of the song that Chris wrote. It’s funny
because that was an important part of our identity
in the early days, being primarily an Asian band,
WKDW(DVWHUQLQÁXHQFHDQGSV\FKHGHOLDZKLFKWKH
Beatles had. Chris loved the Beatles. I love the
Beatles. Matt, Hiro and Ben — we were all
LQÁXHQFHGE\WKHP7KDW(DVWHUQWKLQJLVSUHVHQW
in the Beatles via George Harrison, but it’s also
present in Zeppelin. All of us wrote that way at
some point or another. It was present in all of us,
and it probably came from the Beatles and Zeppelin,
and maybe the fact that I’m Indian.
You mentioned psychedelia. Parts of “My Wave” and

“Head Down” have that kind of spacey feel. When you
guys were recording, would you reference terms like
“psychedelic”?
We all would to various degrees. I’d say, “Whoa, something that would break that up. During the
that part sounds like the Butthole Surfers, or choruses, things get bigger and heavier, and they’re
Zeppelin. That totally sounds like Killing Joke.” psychedelic. The Leslie cabinet is still there, but it’s
And they’d say, “Yeah, it does sound like Killing VHWWRDGLŲHUHQWVSHHGIRUWKHFKRUXVSDUWVVRZKHQ
Joke.” Sometimes I would refer to a shape or color, the solo comes up, I thought, Do I maintain this
and Ben would laugh. I communicated that way. regard for the rotating motion of the cabinet and the
Usually it was out of enthusiasm when a part was delicacy of the verse? I re-addressed that.
being developed through jamming or we were The part Chris wrote for the solo section was
shown a part in a demo. We’d go, “That part sounds heavier, so I thought, If I get heavy and chaotic,
like a purple circle.” It made people laugh, but they it will be a dynamic contrast to the verse, and that
would get why it felt or sounded that way to us. could be good. But if it loses the identity of the
VRQJWKDW·OOEHEDG6RLWZDVGLűFXOW,ÀUVWWULHG
Even while comping solos, were there any lead breaks playing psychedelic and more delicate. I tried
on Superunknown that gave you any real writing a part that
trouble? Were some solos tough nuts to “IT’S A GREAT was more musical.
crack? It wasn’t happening
“Black Hole Sun” was a tough one, RECORD, BUT IT and it didn’t come
“We didn’t want to
sound the same,” because the song had a particular PROBABLY COULD together, and in the
dynamic. It’s very delicate in the verses. end I felt like I was
Thayil says. “If he
was using a Like I said, it’s very crystal and fragile. HAVE BEEN MADE constraining myself.
Jazzmaster or a
brighter-sounding
I can be heavy-handed with some things, WITHOUT THAT KIND
but approaching that verse, which is sort
guitar, it made
of like Ann Wilson’s voice — very crystal
OF CONFLICT AND The unhinged solo
you did play fit the
sense for me to go
to a warmer tone.” and perfect — I couldn’t imagine doing FRICTION” song beautifully. The
same can be said of
the solo on “4th of July” — it’s gnashing and nasty.
That’s a song that Chris wrote. I wrote the solo,
ZKLFKLVGLŲHUHQWIURPWKHRWKHUZD\V,VROR$ORW
of times I improvise, but in this case I actually wrote
the part because it felt right. The song already had
this foreboding doom because of the tuning. [see
page 52]
Your Guild S-100 Polara was a big part of your sound on

the album.
There were a couple of Guilds. I like them. This
brings up an interesting thing about the process
on Superunknown: Michael Beinhorn isn’t a guitarist;
he’s a keyboardist, so in recording he’s really
oriented toward sounds and tones as an engineer,
rather than as a guitarist. If you’re trying to extract
the best performance from the guitarist, that
guitarist should be playing a guitar he feels
comfortable with and dialing in a sound that he
feels comfortable with, and then the producer and
recording engineer works with that.
You did try out other guitars on the record, though.

A Tele and a Strat, right?

I used Telecasters more on Down on the Upside.
I may have tried one a little bit on Superunknown,
and I might’ve tried a Strat. If I use a Telecaster, it
doesn’t feel the same as the Guild, and it doesn’t
stay in tune. If you remember, we’re using a lot of
weird guitar tunings here. The Guild has stock
ABOVE LEFT: Grover tuners, so if we’re tuning to something What kind of amps did you guys use on the album?
Cornell performs weird, or drop D or drop G, or if you’re playing Mesa/Boogies, perhaps. We used Peavey VTMs
at Vredenburg,
a song for six minutes, you’re less likely to be out through %DGPRWRUÀQJHU, and we might have brought
Utrecht, in the
Netherlands, with of tune with the Guild than with a Telecaster. Even them in initially on Superunknown and moved on
the Gretsch 1989 Les Pauls would get knocked out of tune. For the from there. I know I experimented with some
Jet Silver Sparkle odd tunings we were using, it was the best bet that Fenders, but we started using Mesa/Boogies and
guitar he used we’d get the results we wanted with the Guild. toured with an endorsement. There was so much
while recording
“Black Hole Sun,”
playing around with fucking tones and sounds that
April 6, 1994. Chris used a few guitars: a Gretsch Duo Jet and a Silver I lost track of what amp I was using.
Jet, along with a Fender Jazzmaster.
ABOVE RIGHT: Yeah, the Jazzmaster. I’m wondering whose guitar We talked a bit about hitting the top of the charts. But
Thayil in the
that was, if that was something Ben brought in. was the band prepared for the rush of mainstream
mid-1990s.
Superunknown’s Everybody, even Matt, brought in guitars for us success?
success, he says, to play around with. Chris was more likely to Like I said, to some degree we were proud and a
“didn’t impact H[SHULPHQWZLWKGLŲHUHQWJXLWDUVIRUWKHVDNHRI little bit surprised, but we were doing the work, and
us the way it WRQHDVRSSRVHGWRÀQJHUVRUSOD\LQJ5HPHPEHU with each record we were getting bigger; ascending.
should have.”
KHZDVRXUÀUVWGUXPPHU+HZDVRULHQWHGZLWK We had no reason to believe this would not be the
PAUL BERGE N/ RE DF ERN S (CORNE LL); ROSS HAL FIN (THAYI L)
playing in time and then developed his engineer ears FDVHKHUH3OXV,KDGVSRNHQWR&OLŲ%XUQVWHLQRQH

from recording on a four-track at home with Hiro. of Metallica’s managers, a year prior, at a Metallica
He and I didn’t want to sound the same, and show. He took me aside and showed me some charts
ZHKDGGLŲHUHQWSOD\LQJVW\OHV,IKHZDVXVLQJD about Metallica’s growth in record sales. He had
Jazzmaster or a brighter-sounding guitar, it made some other bands on there, including us, and he
sense for me to go to a warmer tone. If he did a showed me the pattern of our growth. He said,
ZDUPHUWRQHDQGWUDFNHGÀUVWWKHQ,KDGWR “I just want to tell you you’re sitting really nice. If
experiment with a brighter tone, which was not you make a great next album, if you make the album
my inclination for the feel of a guitar. Oddly, when of your life, it’s going to go through the roof.”
I would do solos, I preferred the neck pickup, the I remembered that at practice. I said to the guys,
warmer pickup. But if the bed of the rhythm guitar “Metallica’s manager expects our next record to
was already warm, then your guitar has to cut be huge.” I think some of the producers we were
through, so you go to the bridge. talking to knew that too, because there were a lot
DOWN ON THE
That’s correct. “Like Suicide” you’re not going to hit the guitar
had an interesting tuning — D G too hard if every string is tuned
D G B C. Chris wrote that. It’s to E because you start breaking
LOW SIDE
basically the same tuning as strings.
“Birth Ritual,” but when Chris
was playing the arpeggiated How about the song “4th
part, he couldn’t get to the note of July”?
Kim Thayil reveals Superunknown’s he wanted on the high string, That’s a tuning we only used
unusual dropped guitar tunings. so he dropped the E down to C once — C F C G B E. It was pretty
crazy and hard to
SOU ND GAR DEN HA D
“IF YOU CHANGE
flat. Is that correct? keep in tune. In order
DRAW N attention for their use No, that’s not right. For those, to play it live, we had
of alternate tunings prior to the the last string would be E, so TUNING, IT AFFECTS to have a separate
release of 1994’s Superunknown.
But the album saw the group
it’s E E B B B E. I’ve seen that
incorrect online so many times.
HOW YOU PLAY A guitar that was set
with heavier low
take the practice to new A lot of the tunings on the RIFF OR MELODY” strings and normal or
extremes. internet are wrong. It’s lighter high strings.
“We started doing incredible. and left it open.
these bizarre things on You know, if you change the I imagine you guys drove your
Badmotorfinger when Ben Glad we can clear these things tuning of your guitar, it affects guitar techs crazy with the
introduced some open tunings up. What about the songs how you play a certain riff or various tunings.
and slide tunings,” Kim Thayil “Head Down” and “Half”? Do melody. It also affects how you I think they liked the challenge.
explains. “Then Chris did that they use C G C G G E? might even strum. I mean, It kept them on their toes. — JB
ridiculous tuning on ‘Mind Riot,’
where he tuned every string to
E. That came from a comment
by [Pearl Jam bassist] Jeff
Ament — it was sort of a joke
or a challenge, but Chris tried to
see what would happen. It was
brilliant. We continued that on
Superunknown.”
We asked Thayil to reveal
some of the more unusual
tunings used on Superunknown.
He was glad to share them
and to clear up a few well-
entrenched errors.
Which of you came up with the

alternate tunings?
That usually came from the
person who came up with the
main riff. Initially, our stuff was
in standard tuning, and then
I introduced drop D and that
became our standard. For
Superunknown, “Limo Wreck”
might have had the most
interesting tuning on the
record: C G D G B E.
ROSS HALFIN
“My Wave” and “The Day I

Tried to Live” are in E E B B B B
52 MARC H 2 0 24
ABOVE: “Chris of people soliciting us, and they knew “FOR THE ODD Just record it.
stopped hesitating it could be big. But I think it could have There’ll be other
and second-
happened whether we made another TUNINGS WE WERE songs. Just keep
guessing himself,”
Thayil explains. album with Terry Date or recorded with USING, WE’D GET THE writing.” Chris
Michael Beinhorn or recorded with Jack started doing that,
“He just threw it
out there. And Endino, as long as we made a good-
RESULTS WE WANTED and he got really
then it was
like… wow.”
sounding record and we had the songs, WITH THE GUILD” good. He stopped
and we had the four guys writing. hesitating and
BELOW: The cover Chris hit his stride around %DGPRWRUÀQJHU and second-guessing himself. He just threw it out there.
for Superunknown. [his side project] Temple of the Dog, and he became As that went on, he started getting better at putting
Known as the UHDOO\SUROLÀF,WKLQNLW·VSUHFLVHO\EHFDXVHKHORVW things together, either by not hesitating or by
Screaming Elf, it’s
— we all lost — a good friend in Andy Wood from gaining experiences and insights, or a combination
a distorted image
of Cornell shot by Mother Love Bone. [Wood was Mother Love Bone’s lead of the two. And then it was like… wow.
Kevin Westenberg VLQJHUDQGDQLQÁXHQWLDO6HDWWOHPXVLFLDQ&RUQHOO
above a black- conceived Temple of the Dog as a tribute to him, recruiting You’re giving Chris high praise for his growth, but I
and-white, former Mother Love Bone guitarist Stone Gossard and imagine if he were here, he’d say the same about you.
upside-down
photo of a
EDVVLVW-HŲ$PHQWERWKRIZKRPZHQWRQWRIRUP3HDUO I don’t think the rest of us took that insight from
burning forest. Jam, as well as Andy as readily as Chris. He told me how blown
future Pearl Jam away he was by Andy’s attitude. Chris was very
vocalist Eddie self-critical. I am, too. So is Hiro. There are songs
Vedder.] Chris Hiro wrote that are on our albums that were
had a lot of championed by me, or they were championed by
regard and love Chris. Hiro gave up on them. But here was Andy
for him. Andy’s going, “What the fuck?” Chris was enamored of
thing was, that. He gave me that advice, but it was hard for me
PAUL BERGE N/ RE DF ERN S
“Don’t worry if to embrace, not having the full understanding and

your band love of the friendship of Andy Wood. I understood
doesn’t like it. it intellectually, but Chris had a reverence and an
Don’t worry if emotional embrace to honor that kind of legacy
you don’t like it. and tradition.
––––– P L A Y E R S | STEVE MILLER –––––
His serious success began with The Joker. As Steve Miller celebrates
that classic album’s 50th anniversary with an expansive new
box set, he reflects back on how it all began with
a challenge to his record label.
B Y A L A N P A U L
S
TEVE MILLER BEAMED as he 3DXO0F&DUWQH\SOD\HGEDVVDQGGUXPV
introduced Christone DQGVDQJEDFNXSRQKLVVLQJOH´0\
´.LQJÀVKµ,QJUDPWRWKH 'DUN+RXUµ7KDWZHQWQRZKHUHDQGE\
audience at a sold-out Jazz at WKHWLPH0LOOHUHQWHUHGWKHVWXGLRWR
/LQFROQ&HQWHUSHUIRUPDQFH UHFRUGWKHODVWDOEXPRIKLV&DSLWROGHDO
ODVWZLQWHU,WZDV0LOOHU·VVHYHQWK LQKHZDVIXULRXVDWWKHODEHOIRU
annual JALC blues concert, where he QRWGRLQJPRUHIRUKLP´,ZDVVRDQJU\
SUHVHQWVYDULRXVDVSHFWVRIWKHPXVLF·V DW&DSLWRO5HFRUGVIRUODFNRIVXSSRUWRU
JORULRXVKHULWDJH7KLV\HDU·VVKRZ KDYLQJDFOXHµKHVD\V
focused on the Future of the Blues in the %XW0LOOHUVRRQJRWWKHVDWLVIDFWLRQ
SHUVRQRI.LQJÀVKDQG0LOOHUZDV KHGHVHUYHG+HUHFRUGHGKLVKLW
thrilled to help the 24-year-old ´7KH-RNHUµ³WKHWLWOHWUDFNWRKLV
0LVVLVVLSSLQDWLYHH[SDQGKLVUHDFK³ DOEXPRIWKDWVDPH\HDU³¬LQ
DQGMXVWWRMDPZLWKKLP PLQXWHVDQGLWEHFDPHKLVÀUVWQXPEHU
0LOOHUPLJKWVHHPDQRGGFKRLFHIRUD RQHVLQJOH:LWKLW0LOOHUHVWDEOLVKHG
EOXHVVKRZ+HEHFDPHNQRZQDVWKH DQGLQPRYHGWR&KLFDJRZKHUHKH DQHZSDUDGLJPGLVSOD\LQJWKHZLWRID
.LQJRI&ODVVLF5RFNZLWKDVWULQJRI EHJDQSOD\LQJZLWKWKHPXVLF·VPDVWHUV FRPSDUDWLYHOLWHUDWXUHPDMRUWKHVRXORI
PLG·VKLWVWKDWGRPLQDWHG)0UDGLR ³LQFOXGLQJ+RZOLQ·:ROI0XGG\ DEOXHVPDQDQGWKHSRSVHQVLELOLW\DQG
in that decade and again when the classic :DWHUVDQG2WLV5XVK³DQGZLWKRWKHU VWXGLRVDYY\RI/HV3DXODQG0DU\)RUG
URFNUDGLRIRUPDWEHFDPHDIRUFHWREH \RXQJZKLWHSUDFWLWLRQHUVOLNH0LNH who were not only studio pioneers but
R ECO RDS/ALAMY STOC K PHOTO
UHFNRQHGZLWKPRUHWKDQDGHFDGHODWHU %ORRPÀHOGDQG3DXO%XWWHUÀHOG+HDOVR DOVR0LOOHUIDPLO\IULHQGV

%XWEHIRUH´7KH-RNHUµ´)O\/LNHDQ OHDUQHGWREHDSURWKHUHSOD\LQJVL[ 0LOOHUIROORZHGXSThe Joker with two
(DJOHµ´5RFN·Q0HµRU´7DNHWKH0RQH\ QLJKWVDZHHN PRUHPDVVLYHDOEXPV·VFly Like an
DQG5XQµKHZDVDVHULRXVEOXHV %XW0LOOHU·VUHDOVXFFHVVFDPHZKHQ EagleDQG·VBook of Dreams,W·VQR
DÀFLRQDGRSOD\LQJKDUPRQLFDDQGJXLWDU KHPRYHGWR6DQ)UDQFLVFRLQDQG wonder The Steve Miller Band’s Greatest
0LOOHUOHIWWKH8QLYHUVLW\RI started recording for Capitol Records. Hits 1974–’78LVRQHRIURFN·VEHVW
:LVFRQVLQDVHPHVWHUVK\RIDGHJUHH +HWKRXJKWKHKDGKLWWKHELJWLPHZKHQ VHOOLQJDOEXPV
“ ‘THE JOKER’ WAS ON
THE AIR TWO TIMES
AN HOUR, 24 HOURS
A DAY, FOR ABOUT A
YEAR AND A HALF”
M A RC H 2 024 55
P L A Y E R S | STEVE MILLER
[1] A handbill for a 1970

concert featuring the Steve
Miller Band. [2] & [3] The
covers of Brave New World
and Fly Like an Eagle.
With J50: The Evolution of the Joker,

0LOOHUKDVGHOLYHUHGDWKDQQLYHUVDU\
celebration of The Joker that includes
RXWWDNHVDQGDOWHUQDWHYHUVLRQVRILWV
WXQHV&RPSLOLQJDQGSHQQLQJDQ
H[WHQVLYHOLQHUQRWHHVVD\IRUWKHVHW
PDGH0LOOHUORRNEDFNDWKLVFDUHHU
VRPHWKLQJKHVD\VKHUDUHO\GRHV,W
PDNHVWKLVDJRRGWLPHWRFDWFKXSZLWK
WKH.LQJRI&ODVVLF5RFNZKRDWDJH
LVVWLOOSOD\LQJDQGVLQJLQJWHUULÀFDOO\
You did a great job on J50, which really

tells a story about not only the album but
also the era and your entire career to that
point, and even beyond.
7KDQNV7KDW·VDOOGXHWRP\ZLIH-DQLFH
ZKRLVDPXVLFRORJLVW2YHUDGHFDGH
DJRZKHQZHÀUVWVWDUWHGGDWLQJ,
VKRZHGKHUP\ZDUHKRXVHLQ,GDKR
ZKHUH,OLYHGIRU\HDUV,ZDVUHDG\WR
JHWDVKUHGGLQJWUXFNDQGWUDVKLWDOOEXW
VKHZDVGURROLQJRYHUWKHVTXDUH
IHHWRIVWXŲ,IRXJKWLWDOOWKHZD\EXW
ZDVVXGGHQO\ORRNLQJWKURXJKP\
FKHFNERRNVIURPDQG·ZKLFK [1]
,XVHGWRSD\IRUWKHHQWLUHOLIHRIWKH
band, and started reconstructing it.
7KHUHZHUHZDOOVDQGZDOOVRIPXVLFRQ
technology we no longer use: cassette
WDSHV'$7VHLJKWWUDFNUHFRUGLQJV«¬
6KHJRWLWDOOGLJLWL]HGOLVWHQHGWR
KRXUVWKHQVDLG´,SXOOHGWKLQJV
BIL L WATE RSON /ALAMY STO CK PHOTO (POSTER); RECO RDS/ALAMY STOCK P HOTO (AL BUM COVERS )
,ZDQW\RXWROLVWHQWRµ,KDGFDUULHG
DIRXUWUDFNWDSHUHFRUGHUDURXQGLQD
JLDQWVXLWFDVHDQGUHFRUGHGDOOP\JLJV
RQLWWKHQWRRNWKHWKLQJEDFNWRWKH
URRPDQGZRUNHGRQVRQJV,FRXOGSOD\
DJXLWDUSDUWDQGWKUHHYRFDOSDUWVDQG
ZRUNRXWLGHDV6KHIRXQGIRRWDJHWKDW
,·GIRUJRWWHQDOODERXWIURPZKHQ [2] [3]
ZHKDGKLUHGDJLUOZLWKDPLOOLPHWHU
FDPHUD,ORRNOLNH,·P\HDUVROGEXW
WKHUH,DPGULYLQJWKHVKLWWLHVWUHQWDOFDU QHZPXVLFRXWLQ³RQHRIWKUHH UHDG\WREHDWWKHPZLWKP\ÀVWV:KHQ
\RXHYHUVDZDQGVWD\LQJDWWKH+ROLGD\ SURMHFWV,·YHEHHQZRUNLQJRQ,·PDODWH ,JDYHWKHPWKLVDOEXP,WKRXJKWLW
,QQ7KHUH·VIRRWDJHRIVKRZVVWXŲIURP EORRPHUDQGSHRSOHDUHSD\LQJPRUH was the end of our relationship. We had
P\KRWHOURRPVDQGLQWKHFDU:HIRXQG DWWHQWLRQWRPHWKDQWKH\GLG\HDUV DSOD\EDFNIRUWKHH[HFXWLYHVDQG
DÀOPHGLWRUWRPDNHLWPDNHVHQVHDQG DJRVR,·PORRNLQJDKHDGQRWEHKLQG RQH¬\HDUROGNLGZKRKDGQRSRZHU
LW·VUHDOO\JUHDW DVPXFKDV,FDQ LQWKHFRPSDQ\VDLG´,WKLQN¶7KH-RNHU·
LVDKLWVLQJOHµ,ORRNHGDWKLPDQGVDLG
So you’re happy now that it’s done? Your serious success started with The ´/LVWHQ,GRQ·WFDUHDERXWKLWVLQJOHV
,WKLQN-DQLFHGLGDSKHQRPHQDOWKLQJ Joker, the last album in your Capitol deal. -XVWKDYHWKHVHDOEXPVLQVWRUHVZKHQ
ZLWKLWDQG,DPYHU\KDSS\EXW¬P\ Why were you so mad at them? ,·PLQWRZQµ´7KH-RNHUµZDVSLFNHGDV
KLVWRU\LVRQJRLQJ,MXVWÀQLVKHGGRLQJ ,·GMXVWGRQHFLWLHVDQGWKH\GLGQ·W WKHVLQJOHDQGWKHDOEXPWLWOHDQG
FLWLHV,·PUHFRUGLQJDQGZLOOKDYH KDYHDQ\DOEXPVLQDQ\RIWKHP,ZDV ³ding! ding!³LWZHQWYLUDORQLWVRZQ¬
“WHEN I GOT TO
CHICAGO AND SAW
PAUL BUTTERFIELD,
I WENT, ‘I CAN
DO THAT’ ”
Steve Miller (right),

leads Boz Scaggs (left)
and drummer Tim Davis
through a performance,
in Monterey, California,
in the late 1960s.
As much as you didn’t expect “The Joker” World album. How did that come about? +HSOD\HGGUXPVDQGEDVV,SOD\HG
to be a hit, it’s a really interesting song, ,ZDVZRUNLQJDW2O\PSLFDQGWKH\ZHUH guitar and pedal steel and the lead,
with a lot going on. It’s quite different. PL[LQJ>the 1969 single version of “Get DQGZHGLGWKHEDFNJURXQGKDUPRQLHV
<HV$QG,ZRUNHGRQWKHPXVLFDORQJ Back”] there with Glyn Johns, whose WRJHWKHU7KHQKH/LQGD>McCartney] and
WLPH$QGNQHZH[DFWO\KRZ,ZDQWHGLW KRXVH,ZDVVWD\LQJDW*O\QWRRNPHWR ,PL[HGLWDOOLQRQHGD\,DOVRZDWFKHG
WRJRDQGÀQDOO\JRWWKHO\ULFVWRJHWKHU *HRUJH·VKRXVHZKRLQYLWHGPHWRWKH WKHPPL[´*HW%DFNµZKLFKZDV
LQWKHVWXGLRDQGLWDOOÀQDOO\IHOO VHVVLRQVZKHUH,ZDWFKHG/HQQRQDQG QXPEHURQHDOORYHU(XURSHWKUHHGD\V
WRJHWKHU%XWLWGLGQ·WVRXQGOLNH 0F&DUWQH\VLQJ´*HW%DFNµ³ZKLFKZDV ODWHU,·GQHYHUVHHQDQ\WKLQJOLNHWKDW
DQ\WKLQJRQWKHUDGLR,ZDVSOD\LQJLW GRQHLQOLNHPLQXWHV,ZDVWKLQNLQJ :KDW,OHDUQHGIURPWKDWZDVLW·VJRRG
LQP\VKRZRSHQLQJVRORDFRXVWLFVHW ´+RO\VKLW,FDQ·WEHOLHYH,·PKHUHµ7KH WREHWZRDOEXPVDKHDGEXWLI\RXGR
but people were just going nuts right QH[WGD\WKH\ZHUHJRLQJWRUHFRUGEXW VRPHWKLQJJUHDWDWWKHODVWPLQXWH\RX
away, so we added it to the band set, -RKQDQG5LQJRGLGQ·WVKRZXS6R,ZDV FDQDOZD\VOHDGZLWK\RXUIUHVKHVWWKLQJ¬
DQGLWMXVWWRRNRŲ´7KH-RNHUµZDVRQ VLWWLQJWKHUHZLWK0F&DUWQH\+DUULVRQ
WKHDLUWZRWLPHVDQKRXUKRXUVD DQG*O\QZKRVXJJHVWHGZHSOD\VRPH But it took you a few years —
day, for about a year and a half. PXVLFZKLOHZHZDLWHG3DXOVWDUWV 1RPDQ,OHDUQHGWKDWLQDPLQXWH
SOD\LQJ´/DG\0DGRQQDµRQWKHXSULJKW EXWLI\RX·UHQRW/HQQRQDQG0F&DUWQH\
And that completely shifted your career. 8QEHOLHYDEOH*HRUJHLVVLWWLQJDURXQG LWFDQWDNHDZKLOHWRDFKLHYH,WZDV
,WVHWPHXS:KDWUHDOO\FKDQJHGP\ SOD\LQJJXLWDU,JHW/HQQRQ·V(SLSKRQH LPPHGLDWHO\FOHDUHYHQIURPVLPSOH
FDUHHUZDVWKHVL[VLQJOHVWKDWIROORZHG &DVLQRDQGDPSOD\LQJWKURXJKKLVDPS FRQYHUVDWLRQWKDWWKH\WUXO\ZHUH
$QGWKDWZDVE\GHVLJQ:KHQ,ZRUNHG 3DXOJHWVRQWKHGUXPVDQGLW·VOLNH JHQLXVHV,WZDVOLNH´+H\ER\VLW·V
CATHY MUR PHY/G E TTY IMAGES
ZLWKWKH%HDWOHVLQ,OHDUQHGDORW ZH·YHEHHQSOD\LQJWRJHWKHUIRUHYHU :HJRWWKHGUXPPHUXQWLOVHYHQ

7KH\ZHUHÀQLVKLQJXSWKHLUUHFRUGVDQG :H·UHSOD\LQJEOXHVDQG*HRUJHJRW :HQHHGDQRWKHUVRQJµ«¬DQGWKH\
EUHDNLQJXS³DQGWKH\KDGKLWVLQ ERUHGEHFDXVHKH·VVRUWRIDEDUUHFKRUG JRLQWRWKHQH[WURRPDQGZULWHDKLW
the can. How the hell did you do that? VWUDLJKWJX\,VKRZHG3DXOWKHOLFNIRU How is that possible? The thing that
,ZDQWHGWRWU\ ´0\'DUN+RXUµ³ZKLFKHYHQWXDOO\ ZHDOOVDZRQWKHODVWÀOP>Peter Jackson’s
EHFDPHWKHRSHQLQJOLFNWR´)O\/LNHDQ 2021 documentary, *HW%DFN@ZDVZKDW
Paul McCartney played on your Brave New (DJOHµ³DQGZHZHUHRŲRQWKHVRQJ happened to the Beatles when they got
VXFNHGLQWRRXUVKLWW\ZRUOG6LWLQD Miller’s white Miller’s Guild

left-handed Strat. 12-string. In
EDGURRPKDYHSROLWLFVJRLQJRQEULQJ
“Most of the stuff addition to playing
\RXUJLUOIULHQGV«,W·OOEHDgreat way to I recorded on my it on his albums,
PDNHDQDOEXP>laughs] They fell into hits was on an he performed the
WKDWVDPHFUDSDVWKHUHVWRIXV:KHQ upside-down opening acoustic
,ZDWFKHGWKDWPRYLH,IHOWOLNH,ZDV left-handed set from his live
Stratocaster I show using this
DWZRUN
bought… at guitar.
Manny’s,” he told
It’s great that you re-used the “My Dark Vintage Guitar
Hour” riff on “Fly Like an Eagle.” Did you magazine.
plan on doing so or just realize that it fit?
,WMXVWZRUNHG,KDGEHHQVRH[FLWHG
DERXW´0\'DUN+RXUµ,ZDONHGRXW
RIWKHVWXGLRWKLQNLQJ3DXO0F&DUWQH\
LVRQP\QH[WVLQJOH+HUHZHJR$QG
ZKHQWKH\UHOHDVHGLWLWZDVOLNHLWZDV
GURSSHGIURPWKHWRSÁRRURIWKH(PSLUH
6WDWH%XLOGLQJPDLOFKXWHDQGZHQW
VWUDLJKWWRKHOO,WZDVJRQH1RERG\
VDLGDZRUGDERXWLW,MXVWWKRXJKW
7KDW·VDJUHDWULŲ)XFN3DXO0F&DUWQH\
,·PGRLQJLW>laughs]
You said “The Joker” set you up for the six

singles that followed, but you took time off
before Fly Like an Eagle.
<HDKWKHUHZDVPRQWKVEHWZHHQ
WKHP,ZDVH[KDXVWHG&DSLWROZDQWHG
PHULJKWEDFNLQWKHVWXGLRDQG,WULHG
EXWKDGWRVD\´,UHDOO\GRQ·WKDYH
anything to record. This is a waste of
WLPHµ7ZRZHHNVODWHU,KDGJRWWHQ
UHIUHVKHGDQGERRNHGVRPHVWXGLRWLPH
LQ6HDWWOHZKHUH,KDGPRYHG,ÁHZWKH
EDQGLQWRWRZQDQGWKH\DOOFDPHDQG
TXLW7KH\ZHUHMXVWIULHG:HKDGSOD\HG
JLJVD\HDUWZRJX\VWRD+ROLGD\
,QQURRPQREXVHVÁ\LQJHYHU\ZKHUH
DQGUHQWLQJFDUV:HZHUHEXUQHGRXW¬
,ZHQWKRPHDQGVHWXSDSUR
HLJKWWUDFN0WDSHUHFRUGHULQP\OLYLQJ
URRPDQGÀQDOO\JRWWXQHVWRJHWKHU
,WRRN*DU\0DOODEHUDQG/RQQLH7XUQHU
>drummer and bassist, respectively, for the So those two albums were recorded ,IHOWUHDOO\GLDOHGLQ,NQHZH[DFWO\ZKDW
Steve Miller Band] into a studio and we together, mostly in your house? )0DQG$0UDGLRQHHGHG0\MREZDVWR
FXWWUDFNVLQGD\VDVDWULR7KH <HDK,RQO\ZHQWEDFNLQWKHVWXGLR PDNH)0UDGLRVRXQGJUHDWDQGWKLV
guitars sounded big and fat, recorded WRPL[7KHUHZDVDERXWVRQJVDQG record did that.
RQWUDFN,PL[HGLWGRZQWRDQ ,WKRXJKW*UHDW7ZHOYHVLQJOHV%XW
HLJKWWUDFNWDSHUHFRUGHUVWHUHROHIW WKDW·VVWXSLGEHFDXVHQRERG\VHOOV You didn’t expect “The Joker” to be a hit.
DQGULJKWVRXQGWRRNLWKRPHDQG VLQJOHVRŲDUHFRUGVROHW·VVSUHDG So what transitioned from that to just the
ÀQLVKHGDOOWKHVRQJVRQFly Like an Eagle WKHPRXW$QGWKLVMRXUQH\RIWZR next chapter, where you could dial in to the
and Book of Dreams³DOOWKHYRFDOSDUWV DOEXPVVWDUWHGÀWWLQJWRJHWKHU,·GWDNH zeitgeist?
JXLWDUSDUWV(FKRSOH[SDUWVDQG VRPHWKLQJRŲDOEXPRQHDQGSXWLWRQ One thing that really helped was, in
NH\ERDUGSDUWV,ZDQWHGHYHU\WKLQJWR WKHRWKHU7KHQ,WRRNLWWRWKHVWXGLR WKHPLGGOHRIDOOWKDWUHFRUGLQJ,JRW
feel spontaneous, not perfect. DQGPL[HGFly Like an EagleLQKRXUV DSKRQHFDOOIURP3LQN)OR\G7KH\ZHUH
“I JUST THOUGHT,
THAT’S A GREAT
RIFF. F*CK PAUL
McCARTNEY. I’M
DOING IT”
Miller gets to
grips with a Gibson
EDS-1275 double-
neck in 1977.
SOD\LQJ.QHEZRUWKDQGZDQWHGPHWR RŲHUHGWKHPDÀVWIXORIGRXJKIRU Did you write it for that purpose?

SOD\ZLWKWKHP0\DJHQWVDLGWKH\ DTXLFNWULSWR(XURSH:HUHKHDUVHGDW 3UHWW\PXFK$QGLWZRUNHG7KHQ
RŲHUHGDQG,WROGKLPWRWXUQLW P\KRXVHIRURQHGD\DQGZHQWRYHUWR ,¬GHFLGHGWRUHOHDVHP\EHVWVLQJOH
GRZQEHFDXVH,GLGQ·WHYHQKDYHDEDQG SOD\IRUSHRSOHWZLFHZKDWWKH\ VHFRQGQRWÀUVW´7DNHWKH0RQH\DQG
STOC K PHOTO
DQGZDVUHFRUGLQJ7KH\ZRXOGQ·WWDNH H[SHFWHG7KH\SXWPHRQDWWKHFUDSS\ 5XQµJRWWRQXPEHUZLWKDEXOOHW

QRIRUDQDQVZHUDQG,NHSWUDLVLQJP\ SDUWRIWKHGD\³GXVNZKLFKLVDIWHU DQGWKHQZHUHOHDVHG´5RFN·Q0HµDQG
SULFHDQGÀQDOO\VDLG´7HOOWKHPLW·V WKHORYHO\DIWHUQRRQDQGEHIRUHLW·VGDUN LWZHQWWRQXPEHURQH<RXJHWSHRSOH·V
WRPDNHWKHPJRDZD\µ%XW HQRXJKIRUOLJKWV7KDW·VZKHUHWKH\ DWWHQWLRQDQGWKHQWKHQH[WWKLQJLV
PL/ALAMY
WKH\VDLGRND\>laughs] DOZD\VSXWWKHEDQGWKH\·UHPRVW HYHQEHWWHU¬

ED IT
6R,FDOOHG&RVPRWKHGUXPPHUIURP ZRUULHGDERXWXSVWDJLQJWKHP,QHHGHG
CR
P HOTO E
ARCHIV
&UHHGHQFH&OHDUZDWHU/HV'XGHNIURP VRPHWKLQJWRUHDOO\URFNWKLVMRLQW You’re pretty unusual in being so aware of

%R]6FDJJV·EDQGDQG/RQQLHDQG ´5RFN·Q0Hµ¬ things like that.
7KDW·VZKDW\RXJHWIURPGRLQJEXVLQHVV
ZLWKIUDWHUQLW\ER\VZKHQ\RX·UH
\HDUVROG7KH\·GFDOOWRKLUHRXUEDQG
WKHQVD\P\SULFHRIEXFNVIRUWKUHH
RIXVZDVWRRPXFKPRQH\DQG,·GJR
´:HOOWKDQNVPDQ,I\RXFKDQJH\RXU
PLQGOHWPHNQRZµ³DQGKDQJXS
,ZRXOGQHYHUWDONWRWKHPDERXWWKHLU
SUREOHPVRUZK\,VKRXOGORZHUP\
SULFH:HZHUHDQG,ZDVPDNLQJ
DPRQWKLQ,GLGWKHSKRQH
ZRUNDQGZHPLPHRJUDSKHGDOHWWHU
DQGVHQWLWRXWWRHYHU\IUDWHUQLW\DQG
sorority, country club, Boys & Girls
&OXEFKXUFKV\QDJRJXHDQGPRVTXH
in Dallas.
Was your business savvy respected or

considered crass by the music world in
Miller performs
San Francisco in 1967?
at the opening
A little bit of both. We had group reception for Play It
PHHWLQJVDQG,JDYHDFRS\RIP\ Loud: Instruments
FRQWUDFWWR>improvisational comedy group] of Rock & Roll at
WKH&RPPLWWHHDQGWR4XLFNVLOYHU the Metropolitan
Museum of Art in
0HVVHQJHU6HUYLFHEHFDXVHHYHU\ERG\
New York City,
HOVH·VFRQWUDFWZDVGXPEDVVKLWDQG April 1, 2019.
WKH\GLGQ·WRZQDQ\WKLQJ
%XWPXVLFDOO\ZHVWDUWHGEULQJLQJ
-DPHV&RWWRQ-XQLRU:HOOVDQG%XGG\ Boz Scaggs was in the band, and you RQWHOHYLVLRQHYHU\6DWXUGD\DIWHUQRRQ¬
*X\0XGG\:DWHUVDQG+RZOLQ·:ROI started playing together at 12. At what :KHQ,JRWWR&KLFDJRLQDQG
and all those people out to California, point did it become clear to you guys that VDZ3DXO%XWWHUÀHOG,ZHQW´,FDQGR
EHFDXVHZHQHHGHGWKHP,VDZDZKROH this was going to be your life? WKDWµ+HKDGMXVWVLJQHGZLWK(OHNWUD
EXQFKRIPLGGOHFODVVZKLWHNLGVWU\LQJ :HVWDUWHGWRJHWKHULQVHYHQWKJUDGH 5HFRUGVVRLWÀQDOO\KLWPHWKDWPXVLF
WRVWDUWURFNEDQGVSOXVWKH&KDPEHUV EXW,GRQ·WWKLQNLWEHFDPHFOHDUWRXV FRXOGEHDFDUHHU%R]DQG,KDGWKH
%URWKHUVZKRZHUHJUHDW:KHQ,ÀUVW XQWLOFROOHJH:HORYHGLWEXWZHZHUHVR PRVWSRSXODUEDQGDWWKH8QLYHUVLW\RI
VDZWKH-HŲHUVRQ$LUSODQHLWZDVJX\V PLGGOHFODVVJRLQJWRSUHSVFKRROVRZH :LVFRQVLQZLWK>jazz pianist@%HQ6LGUDQ
pouncing around in boots with fancy FRXOGJHWDJRRGMRE:HZHUHQ·WJRLQJ RQNH\ERDUGV7KHQ%R]ZHQWWR(XURSH
SDQWVJURRY\SHDFRDWVORQJKDLUDQG WREHPXVLFLDQVHYHQWKRXJKLWZDVQ·W VPXJJOHGKDVKDFURVV5XVVLDJRWEXVWHG
VFDUYHV³DQGWKH\FRXOGQRWSOD\URFN VRPHOLWWOHNLGEDQG:HSOD\HG-LPP\ LQ,QGLDWKHQPDGHLWEDFNDQGEHFDPH
DQGUROORUEOXHV7KH\ZHUHIRON 5HHG%LOO'RJJHWW0XGG\:DWHUV,W WKH%RE'\ODQRI6WRFNKROP:KHQ,JRW
PXVLFLDQVZKRKDGSLFNHGXSHOHFWULF ZDVDQGZHKDGDURFNDQGUROO P\GHDO,DVNHGKLPWRFRPHWR6DQ
LQVWUXPHQWVDQGZHUHGRLQJERLQN\ EDQGDQGWKHUHZHUHQRWDORWDYDLODEOH¬ )UDQFLVFR:HGLGWZRDOEXPVWRJHWKHU
ERLQN\HOHFWULFIRONPXVLF0DUW\>Balin] EXWGLGQ·WVHHH\HWRH\HRQWKHPXVLF
ZURWHVRPHJUHDWVRQJVDQGZDVDJUHDW When the Beatles hit, every kid formed a ZHZDQWHGWRGRVR,VXJJHVWHGKHVWDUW
VLQJHUDQG*UDFH>Slick@DGGHGVRPH band. You guys were far ahead of the curve. his own band, which he did.
grit, and they turned into a pretty good <HDKZHZHUH\HDUVHDUOLHU:KHQWKH
EDQG%XWZKHQ,ÀUVWJRWWKHUHWKH\ 5ROOLQJ6WRQHVVKRZHGXS,WKRXJKW You were exposed to incredible music as
ZHUHDOOVXGGHQO\LQFRPSHWLWLRQZLWK +XK",·YHEHHQSOD\LQJ%REE\´%OXHµ a kid. Les Paul was your godfather, and all
N ICH OLAS HUNT/G E TTY IMAGES
WKH5ROOLQJ6WRQHVWKH%HDWOHVWKH %ODQGVLQFH,ZDV7KHVHJX\VDUH kinds of jazz and blues musicians came

%\UGV6LPRQ *DUIXQNHO7KHUHFRUG WHUULEOH,ZDVMHDORXVWKDWWKH\JRWWKHUH through.
FRPSDQLHVMXVWFDPHWR6DQ)UDQFLVFR GRLQJ´/LWWOH5HG5RRVWHUµ,JUHZXSLQ <HDK,ORYHGLW0\GDGKDGD
DQGKRYHUHGDURXQG)RXUWHHQUHFRUG WKDWHQYLURQPHQWEHFDXVHRIWKHFXOWXUH 0DJQHFRUGHUWKHPRVWH[SHQVLYH
FRPSDQLHVRŲHUHGPHDFRQWUDFWDQG LQ7H[DV:HKDGHYHU\WKLQJIURP XQEHOLHYDEOHWHFKQLFDOO\DGYDQFHG
ZHJRWWKHPLQWRDELGGLQJZDUIRUD /RXLVLDQDDQG7H[DVSOXV7H[0H[DQG UHFRUGLQJGHYLFHWKDWH[LVWHG+H
\HDUDQGWKHQÀQDOO\,FORVHGP\GHDO¬ FRXQWU\PXVLF:HKDGWKHBig D Jamboree UHFRUGHG/HV3DXODQG0DU\)RUG³
[1] Miller performs onstage in
the early 1970s. [2] The picture
sleeve for the 1972 single
“Rock’n Me.” [3] The cover for
the Steve Miller Band album
Book of Dreams.
-DFNVRQ(OHPHQWDU\6FKRROZKHUH,ZDV
FDOOHGD<DQNHH,KDGQRLGHDZKDWWKDW
PHDQWEXWDNLGMDEEHGPHLQWKHDVV
ZLWKDSHQFLOWKHÀUVWGD\,OHIWZKHQ
,ZDVZHQWWRWKH8QLYHUVLW\RI
:LVFRQVLQDQGMRLQHGWKHFDPSXV
UDGLFDOV,WIHOWJRRG¬
Did your two brothers play?

,WDXJKWP\ROGHUEURWKHUWRSOD\EDVV
for our band, and he was pretty good.
0\\RXQJHUEURWKHUZDVDPRQVWHU
FRPELQDWLRQRI-HŲ%HFNDQG-LPL
+HQGUL[EXWKHZDVDUURJDQWDQGVQRWW\
+HZDVYHU\GDQJHURXVDQGKHGLHGDW
WKHDJHRI+HZDVUHDOO\VRPHWKLQJ
EXWWKHNLGFRXOGQ·WVKRZXSRQWLPH
WRVDYHKLVOLIH¬
,WRRNDFLGLQFROOHJHLQDQG
P\ÀUVWWULSZDVFRPSOHWHO\ODLGRXW
,KDGMD]]0RWRZQEOXHVSRHWU\DUW
,ZDVWDNLQJDJXLGHGWULSZLWKDGRFWRU
RISKLORVRSK\:KHQWKDWZDVRYHU
,ZHQW´7KDW·VLW,·PDPXVLFLDQ,·P
QRWJRLQJWRWHDFKFUHDWLYHZULWLQJDWWKLV
[1] XQLYHUVLW\µ,WMXVWZDVREYLRXVWRPH
ZKDW,ZDVJRLQJWRGR
,·GQHYHUVHHQP\SDUHQWVLQFROOHJH
EXWVRPHERG\WKH\NQHZJRWPDUULHG
LQ&KLFDJRDQGWKH\FDPHXSWR0DGLVRQ
DQGDVNHGZKDW,ZDVJRLQJWRGR,VDLG
´,ZDQWWRJRWR&KLFDJRDQGSOD\EOXHVµ
ZKLFKLVZKDWHYHU\SDUHQWZDQWVWR
KHDU0\IDWKHUKHDUG´,ZDQWWRJR
ZRUNLQDQLJKWFOXEZLWKJDQJVWHUVDQG
GUXJGHDOHUVDQGKRRNHUV,W·OOEHJUHDWµ
0\ROGPDQZRXOGKDYHKLWPHZLWK
DWZRE\IRXULIKHKDGRQHEXWP\
PRWKHUVDLG´7KDW·VDJUHDWLGHD+HUH·V
EXFNV<RX·UHUHDOO\\RXQJ\RX
[2] [3] GRQ·WKDYHDQ\UHVSRQVLELOLWLHVQRZµ
But your dad was such a music lover! Did

ZKRJRWPDUULHGDWRXUKRXVH³DQG 'ZLJKW(LVHQKRZHUDFRPPXQLVWLQ he come around to it? Was he happy when
RECOR DS/ALAMY STOCK P HOTO (AL BUM COVE RS)
7%RQH:DONHUDQGPDQ\RWKHUVRQKLV 7H[DV0\GDGDOVRKDG%ODFNZRPHQ you made it?

0DJQHFRUGHU$QGKHEXLOWWKHFRROHVW ZRUNLQJLQKLVSDWKRORJ\ODEWZRRI ,WZDVURXJK+HORYHGPXVLFEXWQRW
VWHUHRV\VWHP\RXHYHUVDZDOO)RUPLFD ZKRPEHFDPHSDWKRORJLVWVWKHPVHOYHV IRUKLVRZQNLGDVDFDUHHU0\IDWKHU
ZLWKELJVSHDNHUV+HZDVMXVWDKHDGRI :KHQWKH\KDGD&KULVWPDVSDUW\WKH\ was an alcoholic and a cynic. He was
HYHU\ERG\¬ ZHUHDUUHVWHGIRUKDYLQJDÚDFHSDUW\µ DOZD\VVDUFDVWLFDERXWLWOLNH´<RXRQO\
ZLWK%ODFNDQGZKLWHSHRSOHWRJHWKHU NQRZWKUHHFKRUGV,FDQ·WEHOLHYHWKLV
How did it go over having T Bone Walker at 7KH\ZHUHKDQGFXŲHGSKRWRJUDSKHG ZRUNVµ%XWDWWKHVDPHWLPH,·GEH
your house in Dallas? and their pictures were put on the front FRPLQJWRWRZQWRSOD\DELJJLJDQG
1RWZHOO7KHQHLJKERUVOLNHGP\GDGDW page of The Dallas Morning News. ZRXOGJHWDSKRQHFDOOIURPDVHFUHWDU\
ÀUVWDQGWKHQWKH\WKRXJKWKHZDVD :HPRYHGWR'DOODVZKHQ,ZDVLQ saying, “Your dad wants to see you on
FRPPXQLVW,QWKH\ZHUHFDOOLQJ VHFRQGJUDGHDQG,ZHQWWR6WRQHZDOO WKHZD\LQDQGZH·YHJRWDJXHVWOLVW
P L A Y E R S | STEVE MILLER [1] Miller wrote “The Joker”
using this Teac 3340 four-track
recorder. [2] He plugged his
Stratocaster into this 1959
Fender Bassman for the album
recording of the song.
:H·GOLNHVRPHWLFNHWVDQG7VKLUWVIRU
WKHPµ$QGWKHJXHVWOLVWZRXOGEH
SHRSOH>laughs] “Forty-two-thousand
GROODUVZRUWKRIWLFNHWV'DG"5HDOO\"µ¬
+HZDVMXVWOLNH´+H\P\VRQLV
IDPRXV&RPHKHUHDQGWDSGDQFH
URFNVWDUµ,WZDVFUHHS\DQGLWWRRN
PHDORQJWLPHWROHDUQKRZWRGHDO
ZLWKWKDW0\EURWKHUVDQGP\GDGZHUH
DOFRKROLFVDQG,GUDQNWLOO,ZDVDERXW
2QP\ODVWOLWWOHELQJH,WRRNDÀUH
H[WLQJXLVKHUDQGKRVHGGRZQP\DJHQW
ZKRZDVDJXHVWDWP\KRXVH7KHQ
,WKRXJKW2ND\,·PWKURXJKGULQNLQJ
$QG,MXVWDEVROXWHO\VWRSSHG
You didn’t go through the program or

anything?
1R,ZDVQ·WWKDWNLQGRIGULQNHUEXW
P\EURWKHUVDQGIDWKHUZHUH7KH\KDG
DUHDOO\KDUGWLPHZLWKP\VXFFHVVDQG
,ZDVWKHPLGGOHNLGWU\LQJWRPDNH
HYHU\WKLQJFRRO,EURXJKWFly Like an
EagleKRPHDQGSOD\HGLWIRUWKHPDQG
P\EURWKHUVDLG´7KDW·VDEXQFKRI
VKLWµ$IWHU\HDUVRIWKDW,ÀQDOO\ZHQW [1]
´:H·UHWKURXJKQRZ,·YHJLYHQ\RXDOO
WKHPRQH\,·PJRQQDJLYH\RX,·YHSXW
\RXUNLGVWKURXJKVFKRRO0RP·VGHDG [2]
<RX·UHRQ\RXURZQµ
Does it still thrill you to perform your

classic songs like “The Joker” and “Take
the Money and Run”?
$EVROXWHO\,WWDNHVPHWKUHHKRXUV
WRJHWUHDG\WRGRDSHUIRUPDQFH
,GRPLQXWHVRIYRFDOHVHZKLOH
RQDWUHDGPLOOZDONLQJIRXUPLOHVDQ
KRXUDWIRXUGHJUHHV,W·VYRFDOHVHIRU
%URDGZD\SHUIRUPHUVGHVLJQHGIRU
people who are dancing and singing
WRJHWKHU7KHQ,WDNHWKHVHOLWWOHZHLJKWV
DQGJHWJRRGDQGORRVH7KHQ,VLWDQG
SOD\P\JXLWDUIRUPLQXWHVWRPDNH What are the three new projects you said DFFRXQWDELOLW\IRULW,W·VMXVWXSWRXVLI
DOOWKHÀQJHUVZRUN³VFDOHVVRQJV you’re working on? ZHZDQWWRUHDOO\PDNHQHZPXVLF³
OHDGFKRUGVFRXQWU\OLFNVDOORILW ,KDYHVRORDFRXVWLFVLGHV,DPZRUNLQJ DQGZHGR
7KHQWKHEDQGFRPHVLQDQGZH WKURXJKDORWRIJUHDWPDWHULDO,·YH
GRPLQXWHVRIJURXSYRFDOHVH,GR recorded with the Jazz at Lincoln Center Just because it’s what you do?
DOOWKLVEHFDXVHZKHQ,RSHQP\PRXWK JX\VRYHUVHYHQ\HDUVRIGRLQJVKRZV <HDK,W·VDQDUWIRUP,WUHTXLUHVD
,ZDQWDQ\VRQJWRVRXQGDVJRRGDV WKHUH$QG,ZHQWLQWRWKHVWXGLRLQ FHUWDLQNLQGRIZRUNDQGMXGJPHQWDQG
\RX·YHHYHUKHDUGLW,ZDQWLWWREHJUHDW August with the band and cut a bunch XVHRIVNLOOVDQGWRROV<RXGRQ·WZDQW
³DQGLWLV,ORYHLW¬,·PVRKDSS\WR RIQHZVWXŲ7KHUHFRUGEXVLQHVVGRHVQ·W WKHPWRJHWUXVW\$QG,DOZD\VORYHG
EHGRLQJZKDW,·PGRLQJ,ORYHSOD\LQJ PDWWHU³QRERG\EX\VDQ\UHFRUGV\RX PDNLQJUHFRUGVDQGVLQJOHV0DNLQJKLW
DQG,ORYHWKHFKDOOHQJHRINHHSLQJLW GRQ·WPDNHDQ\PRQH\HYHU\WKLQJJHWV VLQJOHVLVDJUHDWSX]]OH7KDW·VDUHDO
YHU\JRRG VWROHQIURP\RXDQGWKHUH·VQR cool thing to do.
“I’M LOOKING
AHEAD, NOT BEHIND,
AS MUCH AS I CAN”
––––– P L A Y E R S | JOE PASS –––––
Consummate soloist, impeccable accompanist, tireless educator,

fearless improviser and bona-fide jazz legend, Joe Pass remains the
paragon to which guitarists still aspire. Guitar Player pays tribute.
B Y D E N N Y I L E T T
OE PASS WAS born Joseph His father drove him relentlessly and would ask
Anthony Jacobi Passalacqua his young son to work out — on the spot — any tune
to Sicilian immigrants in that happened to be on the radio. He also encouraged
New Jersey on January 13, him to embellish melodies as he heard them. At the
+HDFTXLUHGKLVÀUVW time, Joe didn’t know what improvising was. To him
guitar at the age of nine after LWZDV´ÀOOLQJXSWKHVSDFHVµ
being captivated by country By the age of 14, Joe was gigging at parties and
legend Gene Autry’s dances. His father, a steel worker, was astonished
appearance in the 1940 that his son was earning more than he could: $5
movie Ride, Tenderfoot, Ride. per night. It was around this time that Joe
It wasn’t long before young Joe’s interest became GHYHORSHGDQLQWHUHVWLQMD]]+LVSULPDU\LQÁXHQFH
an obsession, and he would practice for two hours was Django Reinhardt, whose records were now
before school and two hours after, then devote starting to appear in the United States, inspiring
another four more hours to the instrument after and frightening guitarists in equal measure. Joe
dinner, before going to bed. further expanded his jazz education when he
DAVI D RED FE RN/ RE DFE RNS /GE TTY IMAG ES
P L A Y E R S | JOE PASS
discovered the electric guitar pioneer Charlie

Christian through his recordings with the King of
Swing, Benny Goodman. From there, Joe took
LQÁXHQFHIURPDQXPEHURIEXUJHRQLQJ\RXQJMD]]
guitarists of the 1940s such as Barney Kessel, Tal
Farlow and Jimmy Raney. As Joe said, “These guys
DGGHGDQRWKHUGLPHQVLRQWRWKHLQVWUXPHQWµ
GO WES, YOUNG MAN

In time, Joe found inspiration in the playing of a
new legend: Wes Montgomery. Little did he know
that some years later the admiration would be
reciprocated. In 1968, when Montgomery was
DW¬WKH¬SHDNRIKLVSRSXODULW\KHDSSHDUHGRQWKH
talk/variety TV program The Woody Woodbury Show.
When the host asked who his favorite guitarist was,
Montgomery pointed at the house combo: “He’s
VLWWLQJULJKWWKHUHLQ\RXUEDQGµ
It was, of course, Joe Pass, whose journey from
New Jersey’s suburbs to a Hollywood soundstage
was full of twists, turns and setbacks. In the mid
1940s, while still a teenager, he was sent to New
York City to study with the guitar legend Harry
Volpe. After discovering that Joe was the better
improviser, Volpe began teaching his young student
to sight-read, which didn’t interest him at all. Joe
left for home, but New York’s buzz had got into the played bebop for strippers in New Orleans, often
young jazzer’s blood, and he soon moved back to staying up for days on end and constantly pawning
the city, where he spent his time taking in the great his guitar. He also spent time in Las Vegas, picking
jazz scene to soak up the music of Charlie Parker, XSDQ\JLJKHFRXOG´6WD\LQJKLJKZDVP\ÀUVW
Dizzy Gillespie, Art Tatum and other jazz mavericks SULRULW\µKHVDLGZKHQVXPPLQJXSWKHVH\HDUV
of the era. It was also at this time that he picked up In 1954, Pass was arrested and sent to the Public
a drug habit, something that would plague his life Health Service Hospital in Fort Worth, Texas. In Having endured a
for the next 15 years. 1960, following his release, he entered the Synanon turbulent time in
Pass spent these years hopping from town to rehabilitation center in Santa Monica, California, his 20s with prison
town, weaving in and out of prison and rehab. He ZKHUHKHÀQDOO\VWDUWHGWRWDNHKLVOLIHDQGFDUHHU and drugs, Pass
found focus in his
early 30s with the
release of his
debut album,
Sounds of
CLASS PASS: Essential Listening

Synanon.
J OS E PH SC HWARTZ/CO RBIS /CORBIS VIA GE TTY IMAG ES
An essential listen has to be Joe’s 1964 album For Django, featuring tunes written
by or associated with Django Reinhardt. Although influenced by the Gypsy jazz
legend, Joe made no attempt to emulate him, and this album is considered, in its
own right, to be one of the greatest jazz guitar records ever made.
Another recommended album is Virtuoso, a solo record released in 1974. Pass He was joined by
went on to make four volumes under that title, and while they’re all worth a listen, guitarist John
Pisano, bassist Jim
there’s something extra special about volume one. Hughart and
Finally, there is 1976’s Fitzgerald & Pass... Again, Pass’s second album in duet with drummer Colin
Ella Fitzgerald. It’s a masterclass in understated accompaniment, with his fabulous Bailey on 1964’s
For Django
and inventive guitar weaving in, out and around Ella’s beautiful vocals.
JOE PASS’S WORK WITH ELLA
ABOVE: Pass with
Ella Fitzgerald at
the taping of the
FITZGERALD REVEALED ANOTHER SIDE PBS live concert

TV series
Soundstage.
TO HIS MUSICIANSHIP, A SENSITIVE,
COMPLEMENTARY ACCOMPANIMENT
TO ELLA’S SUBLIME VOCALS
1976’s Fitzgerald &
Pass… Again was
the second of four
more seriously. Two years later, he made his debut technique fully formed upon the record-buying albums the duo
recording, Sounds of SynanonZLWKÀYHRWKHUMD]] SXEOLFWRJUHDWHŲHFW recorded for
Norman Granz’s
musicians at the facility. In its review, DownBeat 3DVVPD\ZHOOKDYHEHHQWKHÀUVWHOHFWULFMD]] Pablo label.
magazine said Sounds of Synanon “unveils a star in guitarist to possess the technical facility to hold his
-RH3DVVµ+HZDVDULSHDJHWRPDNHKLVPDUN own among the sax and piano players of the time.
PAUL NATK IN /W IRE IMAG E/G ETTY I MAGES
%XWLWZDVQ·WMXVWDERXWVSHHGRUSHHOLQJRŲDVHULHV
of fast scale runs; his ideas were melodic and well
LIVING A FULL LIFE crafted, and he demonstrated a complete mastery of
Indeed, much of what Joe Pass is known for today the bebop jazz vocabulary — a language invented
is present on Sounds of Synanon and other early not on guitars but on horns. Nowhere was this
recordings. Like his idol Wes Montgomery, Pass more apparent than on Catch Me!, the 1963 album
didn’t record when he was young. Having honed WKDWVDZ3DVVPDUNKLVÀUVWVHVVLRQDVDOHDGHU
his craft in clubs all over the United States, he Anyone who’s tried to play Charlie Parker–inspired
unleashed his blistering and impressively accurate lines at speed on the guitar knows it’s not easy.
P L A Y E R S | JOE PASS
THE Pass, however, made them so smooth that it could

almost be a saxophone playing them.
GUITARS The legend was that Pass didn’t own an electric

guitar at this time and used a loaned Fender Jaguar
for his early life outside rehab. Shortly afterward, as
Joe Pass played a Gibson work became more stable, he acquired the guitar
ES-175 for most of his career, that he’ll be forever associated with: the Gibson
although two signature ES-175. Plenty of jazz guitarists used the 175 as
models carry his name. The their go-to instrument, and many still do. With a
Ibanez JP20, in production slightly smaller body than the Gibson L-5 (Wes
from 1980 until 1990, was Montgomery’s choice of instrument), the 175 also
loosely based on a D’Aquisto has a laminated top that tightens up the sound and
Excel that he also liked to play. makes the guitar less prone to feedback.
However, Pass didn’t prefer For the rest of the 1960s, Pass spent most of his
it to his beloved 175, saying, time performing for studio sessions and TV shows.
“They pay me to play it and The work was steady and paid well, but it was
I get a free replacement if it anonymous. The busiest session players during
gets beaten up.” those years were jazz musicians because they knew
His signature model that how to play anything that was thrown at them in
is most well known is the the studio. To this day, most people are unaware
Epiphone Joe Pass Emperor, that the biggest pop hits in America were recorded
shown here, which was with jazz musicians. Joe Pass was one of them, but
produced shortly before his he wasn’t especially happy. By the early 1970s, he,
death in 1994. Although like many others, decided to quit the scene.
discontinued in 2015, it was
for many years one of the best
entry-level archtops money JAZZ ELEVATIONS
could buy. In 1973, Pass met record producer Norman Granz
who, with his organization Jazz at the Philharmonic,
had managed to elevate jazz from the clubs to the
concert halls. Granz paid his musicians well, and he
built an impressive roster with the likes of Charlie
Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Oscar Peterson and Ella
Fitzgerald. He also formed Pablo, a record label, to
create hundreds of albums with stars such as Billie
Holiday, Louis Armstrong and Count Basie.
Pass signed with Granz’s label in late 1973 and
shortly afterward released the groundbreaking and
LQÁXHQWLDODOEXPVirtuoso. Comprising 11 jazz
VWDQGDUGVDQGRQHRŲWKHFXŲEOXHVWKHDOEXP
remains a classic every guitarist needs to hear.
Norman Granz put Pass, with no backing band, in
a studio and set the tapes running. The result was
both extraordinary and entirely improvised. Most
solo guitarists would have probably worked out a
few routines, but not Pass. If he’d recorded all the
STEVE CATLI N/R ED FER NS/G E TTY I MAGES
tunes again the next day, they would have sounded

FRPSOHWHO\GLŲHUHQW
Each tune was taken apart and reassembled on
the spot. Pass embellished the melodies with a
heady combination of fret-melting single-note runs
and block chording, all delivered with such skill
and playful abandon that surely Django Reinhardt
himself would smile in appreciation. It was the
album that truly put Joe on the musical map, and
HE SHOWED COMPLETE MASTERY OF
THE BEBOP JAZZ LANGUAGE – A
LANGUAGE INVENTED ON HORNS
ABOVE: Virtuoso,
it remains one of the Pablo label’s best-selling AN EDUCATION
Pass’s 1974 jazz releases of all time. ,W·VWRWKHEHQHÀWRIDOOVHULRXVJXLWDULVWVWKDW-RH
masterclass, Pass would record three more volumes of Pass produced several instructional books in his
comprised mostly Virtuoso. In the meantime, Granz teamed his new lifetime. Created in the 1980s, and still in print
covers, plus one sensation with piano giant Oscar Peterson and WRGD\WKHVHPDQXDOVHDFKIRFXVRQDGLŲHUHQW
original tune,
“Blues for Alican.”
Danish bassist Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen aspect of his impressive range of skills, and it’s rare
for the Grammy-winning album The Trio. The three WRÀQGDMD]]JXLWDULVWZKRKDVQ·WWULHGWRDEVRUE
BELOW: (from musicians would tour throughout the ’70s and some of his genius by poring through the volumes.
left) Pass, Oscar ’80s, taking Pass all over the world. Later, Pass worked with Hot Licks to produce a pair
Peterson and
During this time, he also collaborated with Ella of illuminating instructional videos: Solo Jazz Guitar
Niels-Henning
Ørsted Pedersen Fitzgerald, recording four studio albums with her and The Blue Side of Jazz. These too are still available
perform onstage between 1973 and 1986, as well as several live and full of tips from the master, all delivered with
in the 1970s. releases. This revealed another side to Joe’s charming humor and dry wit.
musicianship, demonstrating a sensitive and In the early ’90s, Pass’s health started to decline,
complementary accompaniment to Ella’s sublime and in 1992 he was diagnosed with liver cancer.
vocals. Fitzgerald and Pass enjoyed a deep He continued to play and record up until 16 days
connection and friendship that shone through on before his death, on May 23, 1994, at the age of
everything they played together. 65. His last recording was a collection of Hank
Williams songs with guitarist and vocalist Roy
Clark. In total, Pass appeared on more than 70
albums as either leader or sideman.
Much of Joe Pass’s later career was dedicated
to teaching. He toured college campuses and held
masterclasses and workshops all over the world,
espousing his philosophy to make jazz guitar simple
and accessible to all who are interested. In one of
his masterclass videos, Pass is asked about his
choice of chord shapes. A smile appears as he
UHYHDOVWKDWKHGRHVQ·WJRIRUORQJÀQJHUVWUHWFKHV
or too much in the way of harmonic extensions.
´,OLNHWKHVLPSOHVKDSHVµKHVD\V´ ¶7KHJULSV·,
FDOOWKHP,ILW·VKDUG,GRQ·WGRLWµ
Many guitar players will perceive Joe Pass’s
music as far from simple, and yet it does have a
simplicity to it, one that gets straight to the point
and to the heart of a song. Pass had that rare ability
to play exactly what was right in any given moment.
Yes, there are at times a lot of notes, but they
were never gratuitous. He wasn’t interested in
impressing other guitar players, although he most
DAV ID RE DFE RN/ RE DFE RN S/G ETTY I MAG ES
certainly did.
-RH·VGULYHZDVWRVHUYHWKHPXVLFÀUVWDQG
foremost. His incredible improvisational skills and
technical prowess were saved for the perfect
moment. It might be a cliché to say “they told a
VWRU\µZKHQGHVFULELQJKRZFHUWDLQOHJHQGDU\
musicians play, but it’s an accurate way to assess
his approach. Some people operate the guitar. Joe
Pass really played it.
R E T S
F
––
––
S
F R
F R E T
F RE T S
T S
E
E
T
R
S
F
S F
T R
E T
F R E S
ACOUSTIC
wife, singer/songwriter/director Meg
3IHLŲHURQDSRSDOEXPRIKHUWXQHV
called Unsent. His latest independently
released single is a jaw-dropping solo
arrangement of Muse’s “Hysteria,” and
OLYMPIAN
it’s a perfect showcase for his singular
triple-neck style. He spoke with Guitar
Player about his gear and technique.
Can you detail how you came to play that

three-necked beast?
I call it a reversed triple-neck guitar,
and it represents a culmination of
Wielding a three-necked guitar of his own invention, experimentation that lasted for many
\HDUV7KHÀUVWQHFNRIWKHJXLWDULVWKH
Luca Stricagnoli has become an internet sensation regular six-string neck, because that’s
still the most versatile way to play guitar,
with his percussive fingerstyle approach. like everybody does. I still need that.
I call the second a soprano neck,
because its strings are high-pitched and
B Y J I M M Y L E S L I E tuned open to a complementary scale. So
LW·VDOLWWOHELWOLNHDKDUSEXWGLŲHUHQW
P H O T O G R A P H Y B Y M E G P F E I F F E R than a harp guitar, which typically has
low-pitched sympathetic strings. The
inspiration behind the second neck came
tapping like McKee, Antoine Dufour, from wanting to play melodies with both
W
ATCHING LUCA
STRICAGNOLI Don Ross and other heroes. hands independently, like a piano player.
play live feels Stricagnoli was one of those While I was playing a melody with my
almost like a kids paying very close attention. He OHIWKDQGRQWKHÀUVWQHFNXVLQJ
sporting event eventually became a CandyRat cat hammer-ons, I would place a second,
where one witnesses a well-trained for three solo albums, where he took soprano-tuned guitar horizontally and
musical athlete performing extraordinary PRGHUQÀQJHUVW\OHWRWKHQH[WOHYHO play melodies and percussion with my
feats of virtuosity. It’s obvious to anyone by playing multiple guitars, as well right hand. I still use a second guitar on
that he is no ordinary guitar player. as guitars with multiple necks, stage sometimes, and it’s a six-string. I’ll
I took visiting family members to see simultaneously. He even invented a adjust the tuning and the capo position
him play at Freight & Salvage in “reversed slide neck” that can attach according to the key of the song. If I
%HUNHOH\&DOLIRUQLDFRQÀGHQWWKDWHYHQ magnetically to any guitar. Check out want to change the scale from major to
though a solo acoustic performance his version of Dire Straits’ “Money for minor, I’ll adjust the tuners. Otherwise,
wasn’t exactly their bag, Stricagnoli’s Nothing” for a mind-blowing example. I have several SpiderCapos that allow me
octopus-armed execution of familiar Stricagnoli ultimately designed a to use a lot of strange tunings without
covers would win them over. Mission three-necked monster that’s become his ever touching the mechanics. When
DFFRPSOLVKHG(YHU\RQHZDVÁRRUHG main axe. When playing it, he cops full I designed the triple-neck, I went with
By now we’ve all seen some amazing band arrangements by using percussive seven strings for the soprano neck, and
SHUFXVVLYHÀQJHUVW\OHDUUDQJHPHQWVIRU hits for the drums, playing the third neck I use it in much the same way as I would
solo acoustic, both live and on YouTube, as the bass, employing the primary neck a second, horizontal guitar.
the arena that brought the genre to the with his left hand for main themes and I’m most proud of the third neck,
masses. It’s been nearly two decades utilizing the secondary neck with his because it’s a reversed neck, and
since CandyRat Records recording right hand for augmentation. Since ,EHOLHYHLW·VWKHÀUVWRQHHYHURQD
artists, spearheaded by Andy McKee, starting out, Stricagnoli has accumulated guitar. It’s got three bass strings on
blew up the internet. Akin to the Beatles nearly three-quarters of a million a fretboard that extends all the way up
on The Ed Sullivan Show, McKee’s video YouTube subscribers. Popular videos by the bridge of the other two necks.
for “Drifting” — currently at a whopping include his take on the Red Hot Chili The concept is to have the most-used
60 million views — was the big bang Peppers’ “Can’t Stop” and Eminem’s frets, say, from one to 12, closest to the
that caused droves of millennials to pick “Lose Yourself.” In 2022, he threw fans body, where my right hand can access
up the acoustic and start slapping and a curveball by collaborating with his them. That way I can tap notes and play
F R E T S | LUCA STRICAGNOLI
percussion at the same time, whereas So by playing the three necks and the a mic, and you can control the level
if you try to do that on a regular neck, thumb-ring percussion, you become like of the microphone directly from the
it’s much more of a reach and there’s a four-piece band? pickup. Both signals come out of one
nothing but air on either side of it until Yeah. I’ve seen a lot of guitars with output. Many players like to have the
the neck joins the body way up around multiple necks, and usually the player microphone separated from the pickup
the higher frets. With the reversed neck moves from neck to neck with two EHFDXVHWKH\XVHHŲHFWVDQGGRQ·WZDQW
on my guitar, I can do a variety of things, hands, using one neck at a time or for example, delay on the percussion.
from playing bass lines to chords, and at PD\EHWZR%XW,ÀJXUHGKRZWRXVHDOO ,EDUHO\XVHDQ\HŲHFWVDWDOOVRLWZRUNV
the same time I can use my elbow and three on this guitar simultaneously while well for me. I’ve been having fun lately
my extended thumb to play percussion playing percussion, using the spaces using a Strymon Sunset Dual Overdrive.
on the top. in between that are part of the design. There’s a magnetic pickup for the third
My videos for “Hysteria,” “Smooth neck as well, and I have a Trance Audio
What sort of a thumbpick do you use that Criminal” and “Starboy” are good Amulet pickup system that captures the
allows you to get that percussive stuff examples. I play a melody by hammering sound of the top in a few spots. It feeds
happening so well? RQWKHÀUVWQHFNZLWKP\OHIWKDQG another output. That’s a total of four
It’s not actually a pick; we call it a guitar I play a bass part on the third neck, and cables coming out of my guitar and
ring. My wife and I designed that and then I reach to the second neck to play UXQQLQJLQWRD/LQHVWDJHPL[HU,ÀQG
KDGLW'SULQWHG,W·VÁDWDQGZLGH7KH a melody on top using open strings. a balance, cut some frequencies and send
idea is to have a large surface hitting the With the percussion, that’s four parts. one signal over a single cable to the
top, so it doesn’t really leave marks on sound guy.
the guitar. It makes a snare sound when What’s the signal strategy?
you hit the top of the guitar that’s way There are four signals. I have a Seymour What guitars do you bring to a typical gig?
easier, louder and better sounding than Duncan Mag Mic in each of the two In addition to the reversed triple-neck,
if you just hit it with your thumbnail. soundholes. It’s a magnetic pickup with I bring a six-string-tuned soprano, my
signature six-string grand auditorium
and my reversed slide neck that can be
Luca Stricagnoli
poses with several
magnetically attached to any guitar. The
of his instruments. slide moves on binary strings, like rails.
His right hand I invented it as my solution to playing
holds his reversed slide guitar with just one hand. All those
slide neck that
guitars are custom-made for me by an
can attach
magnetically to amazing Italian luthier, Davide Serracini.
any guitar. Davide’s favorite wood combination is
rosewood and spruce, and I love it too.
But my latest guitar is a collaboration
with Enya Music, and it’s made of
FDUERQÀEHU,GLGDELJWRXULQ&KLQD
where I got to know them. I loved their
FDUERQÀEHUJXLWDUVVRZH·UHGHYHORSLQJ
a new signature model. It’s good to do
VRPHWKLQJFRPSOHWHO\GLŲHUHQW,W·V
interesting to hear it react to percussive
playing. On Enya guitars, the fretboard
doesn’t touch the top, so there’s a lot of
vibration.
How did you wind up on the path to being

like an Olympic guitarist?
I’ve had a crush on the guitar since I was
a kid. It was a strange obsession, but
then I got tired of it. At age 16, I just
stopped completely for three years and
I started doing judo. When I got back
into playing guitar, I discovered the
YouTube channel of CandyRat Records.
The reversed
triple-neck guitar is
shown here in detail.
ZLWKMXVWWKHOHIWKDQG2QHRIWKHÀUVW
“I’M MOST PROUD OF THE THIRD times I did that was around 2014 in
my arrangement for “The Last of the
NECK BECAUSE IT’S A REVERSED Mohicans.” To develop the ability to
play the whole melody with just the left
NECK, AND I BELIEVE IT’S THE hand, I would literally rest my right hand
F I R S T O N E E V E R O N A G U I TA R ” on top of the guitar and practice with the
left hand, over and over again.
Can you explain your concept of using

7KHÀUVWÀQJHUVW\OHYLGHR,HYHUVDZZDV two hands to do one task bugs me. tapping and guitar percussion?
“Drifting” by Andy McKee. A friend of I’ve always felt that my approach should I’ve always felt that you consistently
mine from judo knew that I used to play be doing one thing at a time, with one need to have kick and snare going, not
guitar, and he said, “Maybe this is for hand. My left hand is closest to where just in sections or irregularly. I don’t
\RXµ,ÀQDOO\WRRNRXWWKHJXLWDUDJDLQ the frets are on a regular neck, so it got do a lot of overhand tapping on the
DQGWRWDOO\JRWLQWRÀQJHUVW\OH7KHQ the spotlight a little bit, like, I’ve got fretboard because I don’t like to remove
I discovered Antoine DuFour and all to train this. I started using it a lot, and my right hand from the percussion area.
those other players on CandyRat. DIWHU\HDUVRIWU\LQJWRGRGLűFXOWWDVNV I only use tapping when it’s strictly
with one hand, I developed the right necessary, because if I put the right hand
Do you have a guitar idol? muscles and it got strong. Some of the on the fretboard, then I don’t have it
I don’t really have an idol, per se. arrangements I do for songs like “Lose available to play a kick or a snare hit.
When I see somebody doing something Yourself ” by Eminem and “Snow” by ,ÀJXUHGRXWWKHUHYHUVHGQHFNVR,FRXOG
very well, rather than trying to imitate the Red Hot Chili Peppers may not do tapping and keep the percussion
them, I feel like, Okay, now I need to DSSHDUYHU\GLűFXOWWRSOD\ZLWKRQH going with the thumb ring on the top.
ÀQGP\RZQWKLQJWKDW,FDQGRZHOO hand hammering on the fretboard, but ,KDYHGLŲHUHQWZD\VWRFUHDWHDVQDUHRU
,VWDUWHGH[SHULPHQWLQJDQGÀQGLQJ they are actually very hard. I have fun kick sound, from slapping the side of the
funny solutions to guitar problems, and doing things like in the video for “The guitar to using the thumb on the sixth
along the way I developed this style. Prodigy,” where I play the xylophone for string. It depends on whatever else
First, there is a need to play one neck a breakdown with my right hand while I’m playing, but the easiest and best-
with just the left hand, because using playing the melodic part on the guitar sounding thing for me to do is keep the
F R E T S | LUCA STRICAGNOLI
The reversed slide

neck is shown
attached to
Stricagnoli’s
signature Davide
Serracini grand
auditorium.
“USING TWO HANDS TO DO

O N E TA S K B U G S M E ”
plucking hand near the soundhole and and I had to do the gig with a Taylor
use the thumb ring. DFRXVWLFWKDWZDVSURYLGHG,SXOOHGLWRŲ
all right, but I’m going to go back when
How do you choose tunes? P\JXLWDUVDUHÀ[HGDQGGRLWULJKW
7KH\DUHEDVLFDOO\DUHÁHFWLRQRIP\
musical taste. I’ll look on YouTube to see What else exciting is on the horizon?
LIDQ\ERG\HOVHKDVGRQHDÀQJHUVW\OH I’ll be doing lots of solo touring, and the
version. I’ve got some original music, only exception is International Guitar
but it got a bit repressed in the battle Night. I host that every two or three
to get my name out there. Doing years, and the upcoming tour is going
cover arrangements was like to be the biggest so far. There will be
a bridge to bring my world 38 concerts across North America with
together with others that DIHZRWKHUSOD\HUVIURPGLŲHUHQW
appreciate the same music. FRXQWULHVZLWKGLŲHUHQWVW\OHV7KX/HLV
Suddenly there was interest a classical guitar player from Vietnam.
in acoustic guitar, and I had a Minnie Marks is a blues singer-
ORWRIIXQGRLQJLW,GHÀQLWHO\ songwriter from Australia who does
want to do more music, but a one-woman band-style show. I’ve had
making all the parts work for a great experiences touring with both
song that’s already established individually. And the other act on this
is stimulating. You can’t simply bill is a classical guitarist from Brazil
modify the melody. named Marco Pereira. He’s kind of a
OHJHQGWKDW,ZLOOEHPHHWLQJIRUWKHÀUVW
What would you do if you had to play time in January. I’m going to meet him
a whole gig with a regular guitar? in Alaska, and then just a few days later
Well, that actually just happened. I had we’ll be playing something together at
an important gig at the Blue Note in WKHÀUVWFRQFHUW,KDYHQRLGHDZKDWEXW
Milan, Italy, which is within a hundred I’m excited to be hosting this tour that
miles of where I grew up. The airline brings guitar players together from
lost my guitars, which were damaged, around the world.
L E S S O N S | THEORY
Stevie Ray Vaughan Albert King
MAKE THE FIVE COME ALIVE

Learn these colorful approaches to soloing over the V chord
in a 12-bar blues, courtesy of the masters.
B Y J E F F J A C O B S O N
E BET ROBE RTS /RE DFE R NS (SRV); RO B VE RHORST/R ED FE RNS (KIN G)

WH EN SO LOIN G OV E R a standard addressing the V chord, and the goal Note the appearance of C and G, which
12-bar blues progression, you can of this lesson is to illustrate and present are the two blue notes — the b3 and b7,
improvise solely using the blues scale a few easy ways to add some appealing respectively.
and come away sounding great. But colors to your melodic palette. Fig. 1 illustrates a basic 12-bar blues
there’s one bar in the progression that First, let’s take a quick look at why SURJUHVVLRQLQ$+HUHWKHOHDGLQJWRQH
requires you to make a choice — the the appearance of the V chord opens LHWKHWKVFDOHGHJUHHRIWKHNH\ LV
ORQHDSSHDUDQFHRIWKH9 ÀYH FKRUGLQ up more options for soloing. To keep G#, and the only place where it appears
bar 9. (This chord can also appear in bar everything consistent throughout, we’ll is in bar 9, as the major 3rd of the V
12, as part of a turnaround, but for this stick to the blues-friendly key of A chord, E7 (E, G#%' 7KURXJKRXWWKH
OHVVRQZH·OOPRVWO\IRFXVRQEDU +HUH (A major scale: A, B, C#, D, E, F#, G# previous eight bars, G natural sounds
it’s a case where not making a choice with our soloing scale of choice being like the musically correct choice, as it’s
and relying solely on the blues scale the A blues scale (A, C, D, Eb(* RQHRIWKHEOXHQRWHVDSSHDULQJULJKWRŲ
actually is a choice, and a valid one at ZKLFKLVDQRXWJURZWKRIWKHÀYHQRWH the bat in the A7 chord (A, C#(* LQ
that, as we’ll see. Of course, many blues $PLQRUSHQWDWRQLFVFDOH $&'(* bar 1. Try playing G# over A7, and you’ll
greats have their own pet ways of with the b5 (Eb DGGHGDVDVL[WKQRWH hear right away how wrong and gnarly it
MORE ONLINE!
For audio of this lesson, go to

guitarplayer.com/mar24-lesson
sounds. This is not to say that a G note Fig. 1

will sound bad over the E7 chord. In fact,
it’ll sound just great. But the appearance
of the G# opens up a pathway out of our

basic blues scale.

2XUÀUVWWZRH[DPSOHVGHPRQVWUDWH
classic ways to negotiate the V chord
³E\´ÁRDWLQJWKURXJKLWµZLWKWKHEOXHV
scale. In other words, without making
any overt nod to the V. (Note: Unless

LQGLFDWHGRWKHUZLVHDOOH[DPSOHVDUH

SOD\HGZLWKDVZLQJRUVKXŰHIHHO
Ex. 1 is a B.B. King–style phrase that
has been deftly used by generations of
blues guitarists. Note the emphasis Ex. 1 Shuffle
on the note D, which is the b7 of the
E7 chord.

Inspired by Albert Collins, Ex. 2

plows through the chord changes by

W E’L L I L LUST RATE

A FE W EASY WAYS

TO AD D AP P EA LI NG
CO LO RS TO YOU R
M E LOD I C PA L ETTE
simply driving home the A root note all Ex. 2
the way through. Aggressively picking

WKHQRWHV RUSOXFNLQJWKHPÀQJHUVW\OH
DV&ROOLQVZRXOGGRLQVWLQJLQJIDVKLRQ

makes this approach come alive. All the

QRWHVLQWKHVHWZRH[DPSOHVDUHLQWKH$
blues scale, and they sound pretty cool.

But where can we go from here?
One way is to attack the V chord
head-on, emphasizing the G#, and this
can be a welcome change. In Ex. 3, a
Stevie Ray Vaughan–style lick, notice
how simply touching on the G# in bar 1
introduces a new color, even as the rest
of the phrase remains blues scale-based. Ex. 3
The G# is slyly introduced by coming just
after the more common note choice of G.

Another approach for playing over
the V chord is to use the A major
pentatonic scale (A, B, C#, E, F# :KLOH
this doesn’t include G# (or G, for that

PDWWHU LWGRHVLQWURGXFHVRPHGLŲHUHQW
FRORUVZKLFKZH·OOH[SORUHPRUHLQ

depth later. Inspired by Eric Clapton,

Ex. 4 demonstrates a classic way to
introduce this scale. Notice how the
phrase returns to the blues scale in Ex. 4

EDULQDZD\VLPLODUWRWKDWLQRXUÀUVW

H[DPSOH%\PDNLQJWKHVHFRQQHFWLRQV
seamless, here by adding some space

between the phrases, you can keep from
sounding like you’re just noodling.

Eric Clapton

Ex. 5
E7

Fig. 2
E7
Ex. 5RŲHUVDVO\ZD\WRLQWURGXFHD
taste of A major pentatonic. Attend any R
blues jam and you’ll undoubtedly hear b7
multiple variations of this classic move. p5 ^3
One can also take a CAGED-style

approach, visualizing chord shapes to
inspire lines. Let’s start with the E7
shape illustrated in Fig. 2, which shows, Ex. 6

IURPORZWRKLJKWKHURRW ( WK %
bWK ' DQGUG *# Ex. 6, a Robben

Ford–style phrase, takes full advantage

of this shape.
Now let’s look at the shape

illustrated in Fig. 3, which shows a

standard E9 voicing. Stevie Ray would

RIWHQWDUJHWWKH% WKHWKRI( DWWKH
7th fret on the high E string, as in Ex. 7.
As with the G#, playing the B note
MI CHAEL OC HS ARCHI VES /G E TTY IMAGES
here sounds like you’re “making the

FKDQJHVµZLWKRXWVHHPLQJOLNH\RXKDYH Fig. 3
your nose in a music theory book. Of
course, we can always target the root (or E9
UGDVEHIRUH EXWOHW·VEHDGYHQWXURXV 6fr. ^3

and emphasize the notes on the 2nd and b7
3rd strings, the 9th (F# DQGbWK '

R 9 p5
respectively, as demonstrated in Ex. 8.

Note the cool chromatic descending line
at the end of bar 1, linking the b7 of both Ex. 7
chords, D and C. Using target tones, as
we’ve done here, is a hip way to change
up how you think about your playing.

Then there’s the nifty approach of

using some varied pentatonic scales over
the V chord. Let’s start with E major
pentatonic (E, F#, G#, B, C# <RX·OOQRWLFH

that this scale is nearly identical to A
major pentatonic, save for how it swaps
out A for our new friend, G#. In Ex. 9,
this note is targeted via a whole-step
bend from F#.
1H[WOHW·VWU\WKH(PLQRUSHQWDWRQLF
VFDOH (*$%' ZLWKWKH$OEHUW
King–inspired lick in Ex. 10+HUHZH Ex. 8
again target B, the 5th of E7. And the
G, less obtrusive than G#ÀWVULJKWLQDV

one of our blue notes.
Another cool tactic is to approach the
V chord by playing the minor pentatonic
scale rooted on its 5th. In other words,
over E7, we’ll use B minor pentatonic
(B, D, E, F#$ ,W·VWKHHTXLYDOHQWRI

thinking of the V chord as E9sus4, with
the F# and A functioning as the 9th and
suspended 4th, respectively. As Ex. 11
demonstrates, these notes can add some
color without sounding too jazzy.
Ex. 9

Robben Ford Ex. 10

And, hey, if we can play the Bm

pentatonic scale over E7, that means

D IMI TR I HAKKE / RED FE RNS

we can surely play a Bm triad (B, D, F#

Full-on sweep arpeggios aren’t going

WRVRXQGVRJUHDWLQDEOXHVFRQWH[W

so we’ll need to handle it in a more
stylistically correct way. But it’s clearly
spelled out at the top of Ex. 12, and still Ex. 11

sounds pretty hip. Any Bm chord form

or triad shape you know on the neck can
be used in this way. Note, though, how
in this lick it’s balanced out by the
subsequent bit of nastiness, so we don’t
sound like we’re thinking too much.

/HW·VZUDSWKLQJVXSE\EULHÁ\

looking at how we can apply some of

these same approaches to a V chord

that functions as part of the previously
mentioned turnaround in bar 12. A
turnaround is a chord or series of chords
at the end of a repeating progression
WKDWOHDG V EDFNWRWKHEHJLQQLQJRIWKH
form. For Ex. 13, let’s take an E minor Ex. 12

pentatonic approach with a lick inspired

by Joe Bonamassa. Remember, you can
plug in many of your favorite pentatonic

patterns; just be aware that, with A7

coming up instead of D7, you’re going
to want to lead into something that is

harmonically appropriate, like the snazzy
double-stop from the A blues scale here.

/DVWO\OHW·VJRIRULWDQGPL[XSD
bunch of approaches. Ex. 14 begins with
a raked Bm triad, hits some target tones
IURPRXU&$*('DSSURDFKDQGPL[HV
in some descending E blues scale as well.
A bonus hip thing to do is, instead of
Ex. 13
waiting for the A7 to come around,
anticipate it like we do here on beat 4,

with a bit of A blues scale. Even though
we’re technically still playing over E7, it

makes for a smooth transition between

chords with a nice push.
Now that you have some new improv

approaches to draw from, work on

incorporating each of them individually

into your playing, in a variety of keys.
%HIRUH\RXNQRZLW\RXUHDUVDQGÀQJHUV
will be calling upon them at will, and
you’ll be sounding more musically
resourceful than ever. For even more
detailed info on injecting new life into
your blues playing, check out my Ex. 14
´6KDGHVRI%OXHµOHVVRQIURPGuitar
Player’s January 2024 issue.

-HŲ-DFREVRQLVDJXLWDULVWVRQJZULWHUDQG

YHWHUDQPXVLFWUDQVFULEHUZLWKKXQGUHGVRI

SXEOLVKHGFUHGLWV)RULQIRUPDWLRQRQYLUWXDO

JXLWDUDQGVRQJZULWLQJOHVVRQVRUFXVWRP

WUDQVFULSWLRQVUHDFKRXWWR-HŲRQ,QVWDJUDP
#MMPXVLFPHQWRURUYLVLWMHŲMDFREVRQQHW
Digital
Dream Rig
Exploring some
acoustic applications
for Fender’s Tone
Master Pro.
B Y J I M M Y L E S L I E
F EN DER’S INT RO DUC T I ON O F the DQDPSRUHŲHFWRQWKHVFUHHQLW]RRPV a soundhole pickup dialed to focus on

Tone Master Pro is a hot topic [see review, to the front and you can then turn the the strings while a transducer grabs the
January 2024], and while most of the knurled knobs to tweak settings. I bridge and body tones. I like to run my
attention has been on the electric side of always save my work into an open preset soundhole magnetic through a clean
the equation, there’s plenty of intrigue to keep the factory preset as a baseline. tube amp, and that’s as easy here as
on the acoustic side as well, as I hinted 7RNHHSWKLQJVVWUDLJKWIRUZDUGDWÀUVW, swapping in, say, a ’65 Deluxe on that
at in my review of the thinline acoustic/ kept using the same master user preset, signal path. For leads, I added a Mythic
electric Highway Series [February 2024]. WRZKLFK,·GDFWLYDWHRUGHDFWLYDWHHŲHFWV Drive, which is like a Klon overdrive.
I’ve been experimenting with acoustic as needed, and made adjustments to the
applications ever since, including on two electronics on my main live instruments. TO NA L ASSESS MENT
gigs, and here’s what I’ve discovered. While everything you need is in the box,
DI G DEEPER: TROUBADOUR I found that adding a Vertex MKII Boost
TUN E IN APPLICATI ON added some analog mojo, and Fender’s
Of the 130 factory presets with amp The second signal path is factory-set for QHZ)5[IXOOUDQJHÁDWUHVSRQVH
models, only the last one, Acoustic + YRFDOVDQGWKHRQO\GLŲHUHQFHLQWKH powered cabinet was a boon. It added a
Vocals (shown above), is designed for chain is a vocal studio preamp replacing dynamic presence onstage, and things
acoustic. The good news is that it’s a the Acoustasonic, plus an EQ. It’s started to come alive with the volume up
troubadour preset with a dual signal DZHVRPHWRFXVWRPL]H\RXUYRFDOVLJQDO past noon, much like an actual tube amp.
path: one for vocals or guitar correlating like you would your guitar, with just the The FR-12 is wonderfully lightweight,
to the combo input, and another right reverb and delay. The Tap switch at and while it’s a tad noisy — and
correlating to the ¼-inch instrument bottom right acts as a tap tempo. There increasingly so at higher volumes, like a
LQSXWZKLFKZH·OOIRFXVRQÀUVW are oodles of user preset positions, and real tube amp — that comes with the
EHLQJDEOHWRVDYHSDWFKHVIRUVSHFLÀF territory. I used the Tone Master Pro rig
SCRATCH THE SURFACE tunes becomes doubly important. A on a Spirit Hustler trio gig and we were
The preset is straightforward, with a built-in looper on the instrument channel all impressed with the sound. I was also
virtual Acoustasonic amp and a few is a welcome bonus. thrilled not to need two pedalboards and
FRPPRQDFRXVWLFHŲHFWV7KHUH·V two heavy amps to get a beautiful blend
compression before the Acoustasonic, ADVANCED ACOUSTIC of acoustic-electric tones. This may not
plus stereo chorus, delay and a large ELECTRIC: DUAL GUITAR be the end of toting full amp rigs around
plate reverb afterward. To edit, hit the FS SIGNAL APPLICATION for me, but it’s a part of the picture
Mode button to enter Stompbox mode An increasing number of acoustic- moving forward. I’m stoked that I can
DQGDGGRUGHOHWHHŲHFWVE\KLWWLQJWKH HOHFWULFDÀFLRQDGRVDUHJRLQJZLWKGXDO ÀQDOO\HQWHUWKHGLJLWDODPSDUHQD
designated foot switch, which lights on signals, and the Tone Master Pro is
RURŲDVWKHLPDJHDSSHDUVDQG SHUIHFWO\ÁH[LEOHIRUWKLVDSSOLFDWLRQ,I Jimmy Leslie has been Frets editor since 2016. See
disappears from the display. The foot you simply want another acoustic signal, many Guitar Player– and Frets-related videos on
switches serve dual functions as knobs replace the studio preamp with another his YouTube channel, and learn about his
to tweak parameters. When you touch Acoustastic amp. This is great for getting acoustic/electric rock group at spirithustler.com.
R E V I E W S | ELECTRIC GUITARS
FENDER
Vintera II ’50s
Jazzmaster, ’60s
Telecaster and
’70s Mustang
TEST ED BY A RT T HOMPSON
FE NDE R’S REC EN T LY I NT RODUC E D

Vintera II series features classic colors,
accurately replicated pickups and period-
correct neck shapes. Produced in Fender’s
Ensenada, Mexico, factory, the line comprises
Stratocasters and Telecasters from the ’50s,
’60s and ’70s; a ’50s Jazzmaster; ’70s Jaguar
’70s Mustang and Mustang models and several basses
from the same decades. For this review,
’60s Telecaster I received guitars from three consecutive
decades — a ’50s Jazzmaster, a ’60s
Telecaster and a ’70s Mustang — which
were tested with a trio of Fender amps
(a Deluxe Reverb, a ’48 Dual
Professional and a Tone Master
Princeton Reverb) and several grind
pedals, including the new UAFX Lion
’68 Super Lead.
’5 0s JA ZZMASTE R
Introduced in 1958, the Jazzmaster was
presented as a flagship model for jazz
players, but when that plan didn’t go as
expected, it found a foothold in the
1960s surf scene. Decades later, the
Jazzmaster attained its rightful
place in the Fender hierarchy via
alternative, grunge and indie
players of the ’80s and ’90s.
The swanky ’50s Jazzmaster
that I received for this review looks
ever so sharp in its Desert Sand paint
and gold anodized pickguard, and it
features a tinted maple neck with a
late-’50s C shape, a slab rosewood
fingerboard with a 25 ½–inch scale, and 21
nicely worked and polished vintage-tall frets.
Bolted to an offset-waist alder body with
’50s Jazzmaster beautifully rounded curves and a comfy
ribcage contour, it has an enticing playing feel,
with the factory setup providing low action
The ’50s Jazzmaster’s The ’60s Telecaster
trem system includes a has the same
trem-lock — but no vintage-style tuners
instructions on its use. as the Jazzmaster.
and tuneful intonation. Equipped with an S P E C I F I C AT I O N S S P E C I F I C AT I O N S

adjustable bridge and floating trem, the
Jazzmaster stayed in tune under moderate Vintera II ’50s Jazzmaster Vintera II ’60s Telecaster
vibrato use, and the soft response of the long CONTACT fender.com CONTACT fender.com
bar is really nice. The system has a trem-lock PRICE $1,249 street. gig bag included PRICE $1,149 street, gig bag included
feature that will hold the tuning if a string
breaks. When this happens, the plate tilts NUT Synthetic bone, 1.650” wide NUT Synthetic bone, 1.650” wide
back from the loss of tension. You simply NECK Maple, late-’50s C profile NECK Maple, early-’60s C profile
push the trem bar down, slide the switch back FRETBOARD Rosewood, 25 1/2” scale, FRETBOARD Rosewood, 25 1/2” scale, 7.25”
and it will hold the plate level so the guitar 7.25” radius radius
plays in tune, even with the broken string. An FRETS 21 viintage tall FRETS 21 vintage tall
explanation of how the system works can be TUNERS Vintage style TUNERS Vintage style
found at offset.guitars/the-goodies/ BODY Alder BODY Alder
setting-up-the-tremolo-system. BRIDGE Vintage-style with adjustable BRIDGE Three-saddle Vintage-style Tele with
The Jazzmaster’s pair of large single-coil saddles and floating trem slotted steel saddles
pickups are fairly low output, which can be PICKUPS Fender ’50s Jazzmaster single-coils PICKUPS Fender ‘60s Tele single-coils, neck
good for pedal users. They’re complemented CONTROLS Master volume and tone, pickup and bridge
by an adventurous control scheme consisting toggle. Thumbwheels for neck volume and CONTROLS Master volume and tone,
of master volume and tone knobs, a tone, slide switch to activate neck pickup only three-way switch
three-way toggle for selecting pickups, and, EXTRAS Available in Desert Sand and Sonic EXTRAS Available in Fiesta Red and Sonic
on the upper bout, a slider switch that Blue Blue
activates the neck pickup by itself (which FACTORY STRINGS Fender 250R .010–.046 FACTORY STRINGS Fender 250L, .009–.042
sounds a touch darker in this mode) and WEIGHT 8.4 lbs (as tested) WEIGHT 7.94 lbs (as tested)
volume and tone thumbwheels that let you BUILT Mexico BUILT Mexico
adjust its sound independently of the other
controls. Simply put, it functions like a preset KUDOS Sounds amazing either clean or KUDOS An affordable vintage-spec Tele with
for the neck pickup that can be handy for overdriven great playability and tones
quickly switching between, say, a gnarly CONCERNS None CONCERNS None
bridge-pickup lead tone and a warm rhythm
sound. The Jazzmaster’s tones are crisp and
harmonically vibrant, and the sound with ’60 s TELECASTER 25 ½–inch scale and narrowish 7 ¼–inch
both pickups on is great for rhythm playing The popularity of Fender guitars from the radius. Riding atop are 21 vintage-tall frets
— clean or distorted — while the rear pickup 1960s has lifted the prices of vintage models with well-attended crowns, smooth tips and
delivers a killer lead tone through distortion or beyond the reach of many players, so it was a gleaming polish. A good factory setup
fuzz pedals. A Jazzmaster has its jangly cool to receive the very affordable Vintera II makes for excellent playability, negligible
charms for sure, and those clean sounds are ’60s Telecaster that arrived here in a Fiesta string buzz and sweet intonation along the
addictive in their own way, but this sexy guitar Red finish, complemented by a three-ply gloss-finished neck. The strings load through
can sound mighty too, which is why players white pickguard and chrome hardware. The metal ferrules on the back of the instrument,
like J Mascis, Troy Van Leeuwen, Jim Root and bolt-on maple neck has an early ’60s profile running across an adjustable three-saddle
many others are fans of the Fender that’s that sits nicely in the hand, and the slab steel bridge on their way over a smoothly
“jazz” in name only. rosewood fingerboard features the traditional finished nut to the vintage-style, ribbed-back
R E V I E W S | ELECTRIC GUITARS
tuners, which are the same types that are

used on the Jazzmaster.
This guitar felt solid and stayed in tune
well during my tests, and despite being a bit
on the heavy side, at nearly eight pounds, its
acoustic voice sounded resonant and
sustaining — characteristics that translated
nicely into the amplified realm through my
Fender test combos. The bridge pickup is fat
The ’70s Mustang has an
sounding and packs a steely top end, and
easy playing feel — but
sounded badass through distortion pedals or watch out for the potentially
straight into the ’48 Dual Pro, which enhanced errant vibrato bar.
everything with its unique flavor of grind and
uncanny responsiveness to the guitar volume
control. Switching to both pickups yielded Competition Orange finish with white racing S P E C I F I C AT I O N S
tones that were clear and robust, with a touch stripes (also available in Competition
of phasey color that’s cool for funk riffing. Burgundy), three-ply pearloid pickguard, large Vintera II ’70s Mustang
All in all, the ’60s Telecaster is a supreme ’70s-style headstock, and “F”-stamped neck CONTACT fender.com
working-musician’s guitar that covers a lot of plate and tuners with white buttons. In PRICE $1,149 street, gig bag included
bases, which is why, more than a half century keeping with its original intent to be a
since its introduction, it’s still so popular and compact student model, the guitar has a NUT Synthetic bone, 1.650” wide
continues to remind us just how far ahead of smaller-proportioned alder body and a NECK Maple, ’70s C profile
the curve Leo Fender was in 1950. bolt-on maple neck with a 24-inch scale FRETBOARD Rosewood, 24” scale,
rosewood fingerboard wearing 21 nicely 7.25” radius
’70s M USTA NG finished vintage-tall frets. The C-shaped neck FRETS 21 vintage tall
Famed Mustang players include Adrian Belew, on my review guitar has exceptionally figured TUNERS Fender Vintage F stamped
Kurt Cobain and John Frusciante, and the maple and sits well in the hand, offering an BODY Alder
model has remained popular with fans of its easy playing feel with rubbery bendability BRIDGE 6-saddle Dynamic Vibrato bridge/
compact, offset design ever since it debuted courtesy of the shorter scale. The Dynamic tailpiece
in 1964. The Vintera II ’70s Mustang features a Vibrato is a cool feature comprising a PICKUPS Fender ’70s Mustang single-coils
wraparound tailpiece that rocks in concert CONTROLS Master volume and tone, two
with a six-saddle adjustable bridge when three-way switches
pressing down on the bar. Held in place by a EXTRAS Available in Competition Orange
set screw (i.e. it’s not threaded), the bar has a and Competition Burgundy
tendency to come loose and can even pop FACTORY STRINGS Fender 250L, .009–.042
right out if you don’t keep the screw firmly WEIGHT 7.52 lbs (as tested)
tightened. That aside, the unit allowed for BUILT Mexico
aggressive use while keeping the pitch
The ’60s Tele’s bridge

relatively stable once the strings were KUDOS Cool look. Nice playability and range
pickup sounds fat, stretched out. of tones
with a steely top end. The Mustang sports a pair of single-coil CONCERNS Vibrato arm easily comes loose
pickups with black plastic covers; volume and
tone pots with black knobs; and a pair of
three-position slide switches to turn the
pickups on and off individually, with center tone knob rolled down a bit. The bridge
being off. The sound is loudest and fullest pickup has good output, and its bright,
with both switches set toward the neck, and balanced tone sounded great for lead and
slightly hollower with a bit less output when rhythm through a cranked amp or distortion
both are pointed toward the bridge. Set both pedal, where the Mustang cops an aggressive
switches to the inward or outward positions attitude that’s pretty cool given its sort of
and the sound is funky and out-of-phase. The toy-like demeanor, compared to full-sized
pickups sound good on their own, too — the Fenders.
neck position delivers a clear, girthy tone Bottom line, the Vintera II ’70s Mustang is
The ’70s Mustang
sports F stamped that’s cool for blues when pushing some a hip guitar for those who appreciate Fender’s
tuners and neck plate. grind, and it steers into jazzy territory with the outlier compact models.
R E V I E W S | ACOUSTIC GUITARS
MARTIN
and ensures benefits for the forest and its local
people. Domestic maple and black walnut
constitute its three-piece back and other
elements. Inside, skeletonized scalloped spruce
bracing and “sonic channels” are part of a
GPCE Inception Maple grand design to optimize airflow and increase
resonance and sustain without compromising
TESTED BY JI MMY L ES LI E structural integrity or chopping down the last
rainforest tonewoods.
IF I T SE EM S like the big acoustic This is not the first time we’ve seen
manufacturers are diversifying product honeycombed bracing, but it’s novel for a major
lines to break stereotypes and compete manufacturer and certainly a first for Martin.
on multiple fronts, that’s because they are. As a nod to having invented X bracing, Martin’s
Editors’ It’s been more than a minute since one could skeletonized bracing looks like a sequence
Pick concisely say a Martin is like this, a Taylor is of “X”s attached to the top or bottom and
like that, and a Gibson is like so. supporting a solid beam above. It looks cool,
Historical lines continue to blur as Martin kind of like a Roman aqueduct with “X”s instead
makes another new wave outside of its of arches. It certainly seems sensible to lighten
traditional pond with the GPCE Inception resistance and create channels for sound waves
Maple. The guitar isn’t as radical as Martin’s to traverse inside the wooden chamber of an
SC, but it is another major move toward the acoustic guitar, and it’s reportedly durable.
high-performance acoustic-electric market, “Modern laser technology allows us to
which historically wasn’t a big part of the skeletonize the bracing in whatever pattern we
company’s bag. Shoot, a cutaway used to be like, which simply wasn’t possible historically,”
considered outrageous. The introduction of explains Fred Greene, Martin’s VP of product
the cavernously cutaway SC in 2020 and its management. “We also have a device that
subsequent popularity ushered in a new era can measure the top’s durability with the new
for America’s oldest acoustic shop, and while honeycombed bracing, and we were able to
some features came from the Modern make it just as durable as with traditional
Deluxe line, the body was actually a heavier bracing.”
uniquely stretched-out take on the The wood story of the Inception Maple
Grand Performance, which is what is compelling. Even though maple has an
the “GP” represents in GPCE. “CE” extensive history as a tonewood, it hasn’t
means a cutaway with onboard been utilized much by Martin compared to its
electronics. stalwarts — rosewood and mahogany — and
On its surface, the GPCE Inception the Inception is the first Grand Performance
Maple is a prototypical Grand made with maple back and sides.
Performance, which is like an “We all need to embrace different
acoustic version of a Les Paul tonewoods if we’re truly serious about
shape with a modern profile sustainability,” Greene says. “Maple has great
neck that’s 14 frets to potential, but the problem that normally comes
a body sized between a up is a manufacturer tries a different tonewood
dreadnought and an OM. without changing the recipe. That’s like trying to
However, the Inception make apple pie from tomatoes. We changed the
Maple offers premium recipe by coupling the brighter, dryer sound of
woods with a welcome maple with the warmer sound of European
sustainability factor and spruce for the top and making it more flexible
a lot of modern mechanics via the skeletonized bracing. We also use our
happening under the hood. Kovar strings, which are less bright than
The American-made traditional phosphor bronze.”
Inception is crafted with an In last month’s Frets feature, Santa Cruz
FSC-certified European spruce Guitars captain Richard Hoover expressed his
top. Forestry Stewardship Council deep appreciation of walnut and made the case
certification means a product is for its versatility as a tonewood. Black walnut
made from responsibly sourced woods plays a major role in the Inception, as it’s used
The walnut strip in
the back is widest
under the walnut
bridge, where the
most sound is
produced on an
acoustic guitar.
The Inception
Maple sports
open-gear tuners.
Adirondack spruce Martin used historically

before the resource ran dangerously low.
I can hear all the above wooden goodness
contributing to the tone of the GPCE Inception
Maple. There’s plenty of punch and projection
and strong note separation, and overtones are
not particularly rich or complex. The overall tone
is still fundamental, with a rather dry finish, yet
The L.R. Baggs notes don’t die on the vine. There is a great deal
Anthem pickup of resonance and enduring sustain. The sound,
system reproduces
while not particularly balmy, boomy or boxy, is
the instrument’s
articulate tone with openly vivacious, with a midrange jangle and
remarkable clarity. a top-end sparkle.
The Inception Maple’s inherent snappiness
makes it very responsive to percussive playing,
for the neck, fingerboard, bridge, bindings and slightly stained fretboard with maple arrow so even though a Grand Performance isn’t
large strip sandwiched between two pieces of inlays, to the rich grainy appearance of the usually the first Martin body type a fingerstylist
maple on the back. neck and the dark stained back strip, which might seek out, this one is worth an audition for
“Adding another warm wood with black provides dramatic contrast to the Amber Fade a modern percussive fingerstylist. And while it’s
walnut in the mix makes a significant Sunburst. Hoover explained that even though not a chunky strummer and therefore doesn’t
contribution to the Inception Maple as well,” it’s domestic, prime black walnut slabs large offer the same troubadour support as a
Greene explains. “Notice that the walnut strip enough for guitar backs are quite scarce. Greene dreadnought, the Inception’s natural jangle
in the back is not exactly like a D-35. On the clarifies that smaller pieces, like the ones used can cut through a band mix like a Bowie knife.
Inception it’s widest right under the bridge, on the Inception, are more readily available. Ensemble artists will want to investigate.
which is also walnut, so we’re trying to pick up The Inception’s European spruce top Plugged into an AER Tommy Emmanuel
as much of that walnut tone as possible right features the same Amber Fade Sunburst, with Signature amp, the Inception Maple sounded
behind the bridge, where the most sound is a very light satin finish. It’s dusky, handsome fabulous. The L.R. Baggs Anthem’s dual-source
produced on an acoustic guitar.” and feels ready to hit the road, not a glossy signal reproduced the instrument’s articulate
Interestingly, black walnut is a rather trophy. While maple has a reputation for a brisk, tone with remarkable clarity, and an aggressive
light-colored wood with dark grains. On the fundamentally focused sound, European spruce attack didn’t compromise the signal. Controls
Inception, it appears in several hues, ranging is known for having a snappy, yet warmer tone are tucked under the upper lip of the soundhole.
from the naturally light look of the bridge to the than Sitka spruce. It’s more akin to the There’s a flywheel for volume and another to
R E V I E W S | ACOUSTIC GUITARS
mix in the Tru Mic with the Element undersaddle Martin introduced the nickel-cobalt alloy just and is still only half the price of the Inception.
piezo. I favored the blend right in the middle last year, and it feels a bit smoother than There’s a heck of a lot more going for it, from the
for the best balance between the lower boom phosphor bronze to these fingers. dark and handsome appearance of the superior
energy of the pickup and the open brilliance of Like all Grand Performance instruments, sustainable woods to the skeletonized bracing
the mic. A small caveat for most but significant the Inception Maple is more a jack-of-all-trades and significantly upgraded electronics.
to me is that one cannot easily add a magnetic than a master of one, but if there is one to focus Being that Martin didn’t have a souped-up
pickup because the bracing dictates the on, it’s performance. This guitar can handle Performance in the line, it makes sense that it
Anthem be positioned whatever you throw chose this model as a focus for something
smack dab in the down on it, from on par with the many classic Martin models
middle of the
“ T HE HO N E YCOM B ED melodic runs to offered in this same price range. It also puts
soundhole. B RAC I NG I S AS DURA BL E complex chords in the company toe-to-toe with Taylor, Furch and
The GPCE Inception any style, from rock others jockeying in the hi-fi acoustic-electric
Maple has a light feel
AS T RA D ITI ON AL to country to jazz. arena. In my opinion, Martin has hit its design
under the fingers that H EAVIE R BRACIN G” Lead players will target and put forth a worthy challenger.
matches its light finish dig the articulation. Any player looking for such a flexible pro
and sprightly sound. The black walnut neck and The GPCE Inception Maple represents performance tool should take a good look
fingerboard feels super smooth, and something a new pinnacle for Martin’s Grand Performance. and a listen. I’ll bet we see more models with
about its high-performance neck taper made It stands head and shoulders above the other unique wood combos and innovative bracing
me wonder if the width at the nut was slightly models, which range from the affordable in the future. For continuing its dedication to
narrower than its 1 ¾–inch specification. GPC-X2E on through a pair of Road Series ingenuity and environmentalism via a very
Perhaps it’s the lack of a neck binding that vehicles and up to the American-made practical instrument, the Martin GPCE Inception
added to my illusion, or maybe the Kovar strings. GPC-16E, which was formerly the top dog Maple earns an Editors’ Pick Award.
Skeletonized bracing S P E C I F I C AT I O N S
lightens resistance
and create channels Martin GPCE Inception Maple
for sound waves.
CONTACT martinguitar.com
PRICE $3,999 street with molded
hardshell case
NUT WIDTH 1 3/4”, white Tusq

NECK Black walnut with high-performance
taper
FRETBOARD Black walnut, 25.4” scale,
maple arrow inlays
FRETS 20
TUNERS Gold open-gear
BODY FSC-certified solid European spruce
top, maple sides, three-piece back of maple
with black walnut. Skeletonized scalloped
spruce bracing and sonic channels
BRIDGE Black walnut with compensated
white Tusq saddle
ELECTRONICS L.R. Baggs Anthem
FACTORY STRINGS Martin Kovar Light MK12
WEIGHT 4 lbs (as tested)
BUILT USA
KUDOS Well-crafted with sonic ingenuity and

sustainability for exceptional playability and
balanced modern acoustic/electric tones
CONCERNS Price reflects significant R&D and
sustainability investment. Pickup placement
means it’s not conducive to adding a
soundhole pickup
G U I T A R P L A Y E R . C O M
R E V I E W S | AMPLIFICATION
TONE KING
Royalist MkIII
1x12 Combo
TEST ED BY DAV E H UNT ER
IN TRO DUCED N EAR LY 10 YEARS

ago, the original Royalist was the first amp
from Tone King dedicated entirely to classic
British tones. Prior to that — both under the
sole stewardship of founder Mark Bartel, from
1993 to the early ’00s, and during much of his
association with Premier Builder’s Guild, from
around 2010 to 2016 — most Tone King
models offered one American-voiced clean
channel and another with a tweed-meets-
Marshall dirt tone. Boutique Amplifiers
Distribution (BAD), which has owned the
brand since 2016, has brought noteworthy
updates to all remaining models in the lineup,
and the Royalist MkIII is the latest to get the
treatment. The result expands the amp’s
functionality while retaining the basic
premise, resulting in a circuit that applies its
1964–’70 Marshall-derived sonic template
across a more versatile performance range.
Recognizing that many players don’t want
a two-channel M-style amp that’s
oversimplified as “clean and overdrive,” the
MkIII’s designers have given it two — as
opposed to the original’s one — that are
ostensibly the same but can be user-
differentiated with several variables. First,
each channel’s volume control has its own
Pull Fat function. Each also has its own
three-way toggle for 64/67/70 gain and The independent volume A single-button foot
voicing settings: 64 aims for the lower-gain, controls can be pulled out switch is included for
for fatter tone. the rear-mounted jack.
more balanced JTM45 (a.k.a. Bluesbreaker)
circuit; 67 goes for the crisper highs and
increased gain of the Plexi-era amps; and The Royalist MkIII generates 40 watts by 21 by 12 inches and weighs 59 pounds.
P HOTOS COURTESY OF TON E KI NG AMPLI FI E RS
70 maxes the gain into Super Lead territory. from a pair of EL34 output tubes, with three It’s dressed in classic two-tone black-and-
(In actuality, Plexi and Super Lead were not 12AX7s in the front end for preamp and white Tolex with white piping and has a
mutually exclusive, but we’ll play along.) phase-inverter duties. It also carries a 5AR4 black-and-gold grille cloth. The speaker
Finally, each channel has its own control to tube rectifier to enable early era compression within is a 1660 model custom made for
tap the built-in Iron Man II attenuator at -3, and bloom. One tube it doesn’t have is the Tone King by Celestion, offset to the far side
-9, -15, -24 or -36 dB, or none at all, as well unusual single 6V6GT tube Bartel employed of the back-tilted, open-back cab to enhance
as a shared high-frequency compensation in the original Royalist MkI circuit as a screen balance and rated to handle 60 watts. As per
switch (HF). An EQ complement of treble, voltage regulator. the majority of Tone King creations — and
middle, bass and presence is also shared The combo cab is built from tongue-and- other amps manufactured by BAD, for that
between the channels. groove Baltic birch plywood, measures 24½ matter — the circuit is a quality PCB
S P E C I F I C AT I O N S
Royalist MkIII 1x12 Combo

CONTACT toneKing.com
PRICES $2,695 street; head, $2,495
CHANNELS 2
CONTROLS Volume A and volume B (each
with Pull Fat function), treble, mid, bass,
presence, independent three-way voicing/
gain switches, independent attenuation
controls with shared HF (high frequency)
compensation switch
POWER 40 watts
TUBES Three 12AX7 preamp tubes, two EL34
output tubes, 5AR4 rectifier
SPEAKER Single 12” custom Celestion 1660
speaker
EXTRAS Single-button foot switch for
channel selection, 4Л/8Л/16Л speaker
impedance selector, ¼” line out with level
control
WEIGHT 59 lbs
ASSEMBLED USA
KUDOS A clever reconfiguring of three classic

Marshall-inspired circuits, boasting
Independent attenuation
and voicing controls for convenient built-in attenuation
each channel allows for CONCERNS The lack of an effects loop will
a remarkably broad range bother some players; others might find the
of sonic diversity. head option more versatile
from channels A and B. Furthermore, no This is where the attenuation controls step in,
matter how they’re set, each impressively and indeed they’re an essential — perhaps
runs the gamut from clean to crunch, with the essential — part of the formula here.
good clarity and articulation throughout Even so, I was rather surprised that, for
the range. Which is to say, this two-channel example, none of the voicing settings started
platform doesn’t have to be separated to break up until well past the volume
into “JMT45 for clean and Super Lead for control’s midpoint and to some extent
overdrive,” for example; rather, each historic remained cleaner for longer than the originals
voicing position applies its own tonality to I’ve played. And, rather unexpectedly, the
whatever level of drive you give it on the open-back 1x12 combo format seemed to
respective volume knob. As such, I really enhance this observation. Plugged into a
dug the Telecaster tapping a 67 voicing at closed-back 2x12 extension cab with
the edge of breakup, for example, or the Greenback-style speakers, or into a Torpedo
Les Paul’s neck humbucker for a bluesy Captor X loaded with an IR of a Marshall 4x12
lead with the 64 setting and volume rolled with pre-Rola Celestions, the Royalist MkIII
to around three o’clock. really started to sound like the classics to
construction, efficiently laid out and loaded Taken more as expected, though, yes, which it pays homage, with all the grunt, grind
with reliable components. it all still works brilliantly: 64 for fat rhythm and thud of a good Plexi. Which is to say, the
With both a Gibson Les Paul and a Fender and 70 for crispy, crunchy leads? Easy peasy, combo sounds very good and provides a loud,
Telecaster plugged in, the Royalist MkIII and with familiar classic-rock results all powerful grab-and-go package, but for
combo presented a few surprises in its the way. On one hand, the Royalist MkIII’s portability, flexibility, and broader sonic
format as tested, although it segued into resistance to slide into overdrive too quickly, familiarity I think I’d opt for the Royalist MkIII
more familiar sonic territory when applied even with the Les Paul applied, represents head if I were to make one my own.
to what we might consider a more classic an admirable realism in this circuit, in that However you slice it, though, it’s an
rig for this template. The 64/67/70 voicing genuine non-master-volume Marshalls of impressive rethink of the best of early British
switches, individual Pull Fat switches and the ’60s and early ’70s didn’t start to scream rock tones, cleverly packaged to suit a wide
shared EQ all combine to elicit a lot of variety until cranked up to ear-melting volumes. range of 21st century performance needs.
R E V I E W S | MODELERS
FRIEDMAN
Editors’
Pick
IR-X Dual Tube

Preamp and IR Pedal
TEST ED BY DAV E H UNT ER
F EW TU BE -AM P MA KERS have

embraced the “if you can’t beat ’em, join ’em”
ethos like Friedman, which notably allows use
of its brand name in Fractal’s amp models,
among others. Founder Dave Friedman and
his team have already proven their ability to
design and market traditional all-tube guitar
amps that address guitarists’ needs for
classic sounds wrapped in contemporary
performance capabilities, and now the IR-X
preamp and IR pedal finds the maker traditional three-way bright switch, while boost status, loop engage/bypass and two
elbowing sideways into the digital channel 2 has a two-way Tight switch that added parameters — presence and thump
amplification realm, while still working to focuses the low-end content for loose/ — for myriad tonal transformations. The
its established strengths. vintage or modern. Each channel also has a rotary channel knobs, however, are analog
The IR-X is a dual-tube, two-channel, three-way toggle to select between the three and related to the tube preamp functions,
amp-voiced preamp that loads three onboard IR slots pre-loaded with top and thus can’t be automated to MIDI presets.
speaker-cabinet impulse responses (IRs) Friedman cab choices. Others cabs are I tested the IR-X with headphones; into a
per channel to enable a fully miked-up stack available, and you can load your own IRs too. Universal Audio Apollo Twin Duo recording
sound that can be DI’d The right wall of the interface to my studio monitors; into a Fender
to the front-of-house pedal carries an FR-10 powered cabinet for more traditional
or your recording H AVI NG P LAYE D individual boost gain “in the room” playing; and into the front-end
setup. Two 12AX7 adjustment for each of a Tone King Royalist MkIII 1x12 combo [see
tubes running at high
TH ROUG H FR IE DMAN ’S channel, which adds page 90], bypassing the IRs. My guitars for
voltage deliver all the AMPS, I’D SAY THE IR-X extra dirt to the boost this included a Gibson Les Paul and a Fender
gained-up goodness function as you turn it Telecaster. The tonal assessments that follow
you’d expect from the
CAPT U RES TH EI R VE RY up. It’s all packed into apply generally to all of these formats, which
front-end of a USA B LE FOU NDATI ONS a rugged metal box are essentially just different routes to a
traditional multi- that measures 6.5 by common sonic destination.
channel tube amp, while the back-end tech 5.5 by 2.3 inches, weighs 1.5 pounds and runs First and foremost, I was eager to hear
eliminates the heavy lifting of a power amp off an included 12VDC/600mA power supply. how the two channels sounded as core tone
and speaker cab. There’s an effects loop for As much as it’s plug-and-play, the IR-X platforms; however clever the rest of the
insertion of delay and modulation pedals, a also boasts extremely flexible rig integration. features may be, they’re of little use if the
MIDI input for more complex switching Options for use include employing it as a IR-X’s rhythm and lead tones don’t impress.
arrangements, a USB connection to access stand-alone with or without effects in front Fortunately, they do. The Friedman templates
the Synergy-powered IR-X Editor on Windows and in the loop; bypassing the IRs via the FX for “clean with character” and “British
or Mac computers, and an 1/8-inch headphone loop send and using it as a more traditional overdrive” are well established by now, and
out for solo jamming. preamp into another guitar amp (while still having played through plenty of Friedman’s
Each channel includes controls for gain, sending the IR to front-of-house for a full amps over the years, I’d say the renditions
bass, middle, treble, volume and boost. The mic-free performance); or plugging another on the IR-X ably capture their very usable and
foot switch for the latter also doubles as the pedal’s or preamp’s output into the IR-X’s adaptable foundations.
store button with a long press, while the loop return to use it as a stand-alone IR Channel 1 offers plenty of clarity and
channel 1 and channel 2 foot switches double loader. By using MIDI switching into the IR-X, shimmer, along with good depth and
up on IR bypass and loop bypass, respectively. you can use presets created in the IR-X Editor character, but it can also be driven into
Channel 1, your clean channel, has Friedman’s to automatically change IR selection, channel, light-crunch territory by winding up the gain
Two 12AX7 tubes
running at high
voltage deliver all the
gained-up goodness
you’d expect from a
traditional multi-
channel tube amp.
control and adjusting the channel’s volume to

suit. This is where the clean channels on a lot
of multi-channel amps fall flat. Even so, it
remains a great platform for drive pedals
placed in front of the preamp’s input. A
Wampler Tumnus Deluxe, an Ibanez TS10
Tube Screamer and — appropriately — a
Friedman Small Box overdrive all interacted works well to tailor the low-end content, and Add in the useful effects loop and myriad
beautifully with the unit and, it should be the EQ performs as you’d expect it to on connectivity — plus the programming and
noted, on both channels. While many any good, traditional guitar amp. editing functions — and you’ll find there’s a lot
all-digital amp and effects modelers claim to But this channel’s gain settings below of utility in this little sandwich-sized box. A
play well with OD pedals, a tube-driven noon shouldn’t be ignored either, and there’s stereo IR output would be nice, as would
design like the IR-X has a leg up here since it’s a useful range of early to mid-drive sounds some facility for transmitting stereo delays in
presenting the same type of circuit interaction that replicate a pushed non-master-volume this way. Some players might also like to have
that takes place between a drive pedal and a tube amp or lower-gain channel switcher, more than three onboard IRs per channel. But
traditional amp with similar preamp stages. making for good variety from channel 2 as designing such products requires a ratio of
For many players, though, the lead well. Boost also functions just as it should on features-to-price, and some compromise
channel is where it’s really happening in any either channel. It can be a little over the top if therein, and I feel the folks at Friedman have
Friedman amp. Channel 2 of the IR-X dishes cranked too high, but it’s a cinch to dial in. pitched this one very well, on the whole.
it out in a way that will be broadly familiar to Purists might claim these are not genuine For its boatload of tone and functionality,
any fan of the maker’s signature, saturated Marshall tones, and that might be true both the Friedman IR-X earns an Editors’ Pick
hot-rodded “Plexi’” overdrive tones. Injecting literally and figuratively. But as Dave Friedman Award and will no doubt garner many fans.
the Les Paul and turning up channel 2’s gain has done with his amps for many years, the The only question that remains is whether it
to anywhere past noon delivers instant tones from the IR-X deliver something that will lure guitarists even further into all-digital
classic-rock goodness, with a thick yet might be closer to our common conception of rig options, or stanch the flow and keep more
articulate voice that sits beautifully in the mix. classic Plexi tone as gleaned from both studio players lighting up those tubes for the
Winding it up toward max segues easily recordings and arena stage shows of the past foreseeable future.
toward retro-metal, though it never gets five decades, and as such they are entirely
overly flabby or out of hand. The Tight switch successful in their endeavor. S P E C I F I C AT I O N S
IR-X Dual Tube Preamp and IR Pedal

The IR-X Editor
works on Windows
CONTACT friedmanamplification.com
and Macs and allows PRICE $499 street
you to create your
own IR presets. CHANNELS 2
CONTROLS Gain, bass, middle, treble,
volume, boost (all for each channel). Ch1:
3-way bright switch, 3-way IR switch; ch2:
two-way Tight switch, 3-way IR switch.
Foot-switches for ch1, ch2, boost, with
additional side trimmers for boost gain.
CONNECTIONS Guitar input, FX send and
return, balanced output with ground-lift
switch, MIDI In, headphone out, USB port,
center-negative power in
POWER 9 to 12 volts DC at 600mA, power
supply included
BUILT USA
KUDOS A great-sounding dual-channel tube

preamp benefiting from IR speaker-cab
functions and flexible connectivity
CONCERNS Stereo out from IRs and delay
effects in the loop would be handy, but likely
more expensive
³È ³!«X 0 SAVE È¨Á ‫ۏחו‬ AND
PLUS J0Á‫א‬FR EEJXIÁ ³
FREE
GIFTS
‫!ג‬xJ
ORDER FORM
SUBSCRIBE TODAY BILL TO ADDRESS SHIP TO ADDRESS
FOR FASTEST SERVICE

!nn‫חבזחٳחזאٳ׎׎זٳ׏‬ YES! THIS IS A GIFT SUBSCRIPTION
z(x0zÁX z! (0 B4CMAG zx0٨¨n0³0¨«XzÁ٩
PAYMENT ENCLOSED
٨!R0!k¨ç n0Á JÈXÁ«¨nç0«٩ ((«0³³ zx0٨¨n0³0¨«XzÁ٩
24 PRINT ISSUES
I «‫חחِבגڟ‬ !XÁç ((«0³³
12 PRINT ISSUES
I «‫דחِבאڟ‬ ³ÁÁ0 ñX¨ !XÁç
Á‫ٳ‬³RX«Á³Xñ0
0‫ٳ‬xXn ³ÁÁ0 ñX¨
M L XL XXL Check here for news and offers from other Future brands.
*Offer is valid on US orders only, visit us at magazinesdirect.com or call 1-800-289-9839 for international pricing and other subscription options. Free gifts are fulfilled once
payment is processed. T-shirt design may vary. Digital book will be emailed 7-10 days after payment is processed, device is not included. Your first issue and t-shirt will arrive 4-6
weeks after your payment is processed, please allow additional time for overseas deliveries. Newsstand cover price is $9.99, 12 issues annually.
E N D P A G E | LEGACIES (from left) Autograph’s
Steve Lynch, Simon
Daniels and Randy
Rand perform in 2015.
How I Wrote…
“Turn Up
the Radio”
Steve Lynch reveals how
Autograph spun gold
and conquered the
airwaves with their
1984 debut single.
B Y M A R K M C S T E A
W IT H A T IT L E like “Turn Up the Radio,” in the 1980s, Lynch was in his element. He hot-rodded Mesa/Boogie amp that I played
Autograph’s 1984 hit song might seem like a had already built a reputation as a fretboard through simultaneously. I doubled the solo, as
cynical attempt to score points — and airplay tapper with the release of his 1979 book, The I’ve done with all my solos, with the tape
— with deejays. But as lead guitarist Steve Right Touch. “I was influenced early on by speed running at 99 percent on one track and
Lynch explains, that was the last thing he and Harvey Mandel, who I saw play in 1974,” he 101 percent on the doubled track to give it a
his bandmates were thinking when they explains. “But the real kicker was when I saw slight out-of-pitch sound, which actually
penned the tune. In fact, it was titled “Turn Up Emmett Chapman, the inventor of the Stick, made it sound fuller. We panned one at 10
the Tape Machine” when the group — Lynch, when he did a clinic at GIT, back in 1978. That o’clock and one at 2 o’clock for separation.”
singer and guitarist Steve Plunkett, bassist completely changed my view of guitar, and By the time the recording was completed,
Randy Rand, keyboardist Steve Isham and that’s when I immersed myself in the Autograph knew “Turn Up the Radio” had hit
drummer Keni Richards — cut a demo of it technique heavily, using all eight fingers. potential. “We had our suspicions that the
during pre-production for their RCA debut I believe the release of my book in 1979 was song would do very well, not only because of
album, Sign in Please. “Eventually, it dawned so well received because there was nothing the title and uplifting lyrics but because of the
on us that we were missing an obvious way to else out there to explain the technique.” overall sound,” Lynch says. “We knew we had
reel in some serious airplay,” Lynch says. Certainly, if you didn’t know Lynch by something special.”
1984, you did after hearing “Turn Up the
PUM P UP THE JAM Radio.” His solo announced the arrival of a NAILED TO TH E FLOOR
As Lynch reveals, the song was a late arrival, major talent. “It was a composed solo, as all Remarkably, the band’s label didn’t hear the
written near the end of pre-production. “We of mine are,” he says. “I believe each solo song’s hit potential. “RCA wanted the first
had taken a break and should be written to single off the album to be ‘Send Her to Me,’”
I was by myself, accommodate the Lynch says, “but we were adamant that ‘Turn
playing this idea that “ I SPE NT F I VE song. I spent five eight- Up the Radio’ was the song.” Fortunately, RCA
turned out to be the hour days working on gave in. “I can’t imagine how differently things
main riff,” he recalls.
E IG H T- H OUR DAYS that solo until I knew would have been if that song wasn’t our first
“Randy heard it and WO RK IN G O N TH AT I had it. I even had the release. I remember, we were all together on
began playing along, band transpose the a tour bus when we first heard it on the radio.
and then he came up
SOLO U NT IL chord progression up a Needless to say, we were ecstatic, high-fiving
with the next part. I KN EW I H AD I T ” whole step, to A major, and hugging each other. It’s a special memory
After that, the rest of to give the solo a lift.” I’ll cherish forever.”
the guys joined in, and we started blending Critical to Lynch’s guitar tone was his Forty years on, Lynch hasn’t lost his
SCOTT DUD E LSON/G ETTY I MAG ES
our ideas. It was just a jam, but it had an custom Charvel, which was fitted with a fondness for the song and the rewards that
undeniable groove to it.” Within an hour, “Turn Seymour Duncan pickup. “It was built in 1984 its success brought. “I honestly think we
Up the Tape Machine” was complete — all by Grover Jackson at the San Dimas factory captured the best feel this song could have
but the critical name change, of course. and had a poplar body, maple neck and ever had,” he says. “It was 1984 and we nailed
ebony fretboard,” he recalls. “I remember it to the floor. Whenever I play it live and I see
TAPPED FOR GREATNESS there was an old Marshall 50-watt head with the hands raise up in the air and the voices
Considering the predominance of shred guitar 25-watt Celestion speakers. There was also a cheering, there’s no better place to be.”
9000 9001

Guitar Player 03 2024

Uploaded by

Document Information

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Guitar Player 03 2024

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

G U I TA R P L AY E R .

C O M GOLD RUSH THE $8,500 PAISLEY TELE TRIBUTE

Vol. 58 No. 3 MARCH 2024

THE YEAR THAT WAS... AND WILL BE FOLLOW US

VXEVFULSWLRQVDQGWKHOLNH 0RVWHQFRXUDJLQJRXUQHZVVWDQGVDOHVUHPDLQHGQHDUO\ FRETS EDITOR Jimmy Leslie,

HTXDOO\2XUJRDOLVWRJLYH\RXDPDJD]LQHHDFKPRQWKWKDWVDWLVÀHVDUDQJHRIPXVLFDO ADVERTISING SALES

The MI Industry Is Readjusting: 7KHSDVW\HDUKDVEHHQWULFN\IRURXULQGXVWU\ robert.dye@futurenet.com, (732) 241-7437

NEW & COOL

The guitar’s eye-

TOP SCORE and archtops, resonators, Hawaiian guitars

Japanese Paper Place in Toronto. As I combed

through a 65amps London head and 2x12

BLUES BREAK concentrating on composing for the guitar.

as he teams up with Sari Schorr for Joyful Sky.

FAST-R IS ING B LU ES ROC K guitar star

I knew how to mix things up. It was a way of

3 GEAR WON’ T SO LVE

Yoakam and Anderson parted ways in what we did sounded so good.”

included B.B. King, Chick Corea, Jerry Garcia,

The former Guitar Player publisher oversaw

The angled cabinet

• 30 watts from four 6BQ5 (EL84)

two Jensen P10Q speakers mounted at

Note the phono

BY JIM CAMPILO NGO

Sweet and Low

and tell me Malcolm Young didn’t drive

KLVPLQGEXWKHORYHGUK\WKPJXLWDU FDOOHG&DPS)UHGG\7KHJHQHUDOLGHD feisty set of full-throttle metal and

+HHYHQWDNHVDKDQGRQVRPHVRORV VHULRXVO\,OHDUQDQGUHKHDUVH,PDNH ,WZDVQ·WDKDUGWUDQVLWLRQ%LOO\'XŲ\

(from left) Steve

E THAN MI LLE R/GE TTY I MAG ES

You do play a fair number of leads on your

You’ve got Steve Stevens, John 5 and Steve

SOD\7KH\ZDQWHGGLŲHUHQWWRQHVDQG WKHPRUH,DSSUHFLDWHP\SRVLWLRQ,OLNH perfect. It was the same scenario with

K NAGGS GUITARS ; JANE STUART (MORRI SON )

Billy Morrison’s Knaggs

:HOO\HDKEHFDXVHWKHWKUHHRIXVZURWH DQG>his business Paul, which started

SOD\LQJKLV.QDJJV66&ZKLFKIRUDOO “We can do that.” Next, I said that I VWXŲWKDWKDVQHYHUFRPHIURPKLV

(from left) RIchard

This is your second album with Dave Cobb

So you feel like guitar comes ﬁrst, not

Do you think you could have been happy

Packed with hits like “Spoonman,” “Fell on Black

three best albums,” alongside %DGPRWRUÀQJHU and

people he’s worked with. The bands he worked with

No. There’s some quote Beinhorn made to that

Why was that?

I was going to mention “Fell on Black Days.” There’s a

You mentioned psychedelia. Parts of “My Wave” and

Your Guild S-100 Polara was a big part of your sound on

You did try out other guitars on the record, though.

A Tele and a Strat, right?

playing in time and then developed his engineer ears FDVHKHUH3OXV,KDGVSRNHQWR&OLŲ%XUQVWHLQRQH

Which of you came up with the

“My Wave” and “The Day I

“Don’t worry if to embrace, not having the full understanding and

UHFNRQHGZLWKPRUHWKDQDGHFDGHODWHU %ORRPÀHOGDQG3DXO%XWWHUÀHOG+HDOVR DOVR0LOOHUIDPLO\IULHQGV

[1] A handbill for a 1970

With J50: The Evolution of the Joker,

You did a great job on J50, which really

Steve Miller (right),

ZLWKWKH%HDWOHVLQ,OHDUQHGDORW ZH·YHEHHQSOD\LQJWRJHWKHUIRUHYHU :HJRWWKHGUXPPHUXQWLOVHYHQ

VXFNHGLQWRRXUVKLWW\ZRUOG6LWLQD Miller’s white Miller’s Guild

You said “The Joker” set you up for the six

VXEVFULSWLRQVDQGWKHOLNH 0RVWHQFRXUDJLQJRXUQHZVVWDQGVDOHVUHPDLQHGQHDUO\ FRETS EDITOR Jimmy Leslie,

HTXDOO\2XUJRDOLVWRJLYH\RXDPDJD]LQHHDFKPRQWKWKDWVDWLVÀHVDUDQJHRIPXVLFDO ADVERTISING SALES

KLVPLQGEXWKHORYHGUK\WKPJXLWDU FDOOHG&DPS)UHGG\7KHJHQHUDOLGHD feisty set of full-throttle metal and

+HHYHQWDNHVDKDQGRQVRPHVRORV VHULRXVO\,OHDUQDQGUHKHDUVH,PDNH ,WZDVQ·WDKDUGWUDQVLWLRQ%LOO\'XŲ\

SOD\7KH\ZDQWHGGLŲHUHQWWRQHVDQG WKHPRUH,DSSUHFLDWHP\SRVLWLRQ,OLNH perfect. It was the same scenario with

:HOO\HDKEHFDXVHWKHWKUHHRIXVZURWH DQG>his business Paul, which started

SOD\LQJKLV.QDJJV66&ZKLFKIRUDOO “We can do that.” Next, I said that I VWXŲWKDWKDVQHYHUFRPHIURPKLV

playing in time and then developed his engineer ears FDVHKHUH3OXV,KDGVSRNHQWR&OLŲ%XUQVWHLQRQH

UHFNRQHGZLWKPRUHWKDQDGHFDGHODWHU %ORRPÀHOGDQG3DXO%XWWHUÀHOG+HDOVR DOVR0LOOHUIDPLO\IULHQGV

ZLWKWKH%HDWOHVLQ,OHDUQHGDORW ZH·YHEHHQSOD\LQJWRJHWKHUIRUHYHU :HJRWWKHGUXPPHUXQWLOVHYHQ

VXFNHGLQWRRXUVKLWW\ZRUOG6LWLQD Miller’s white Miller’s Guild

DQGZDVUHFRUGLQJ7KH\ZRXOGQ·WWDNH H[SHFWHG7KH\SXWPHRQDWWKHFUDSS\ 5XQµJRWWRQXPEHUZLWKDEXOOHW

WKH\VDLGRND\>laughs] DOZD\VSXWWKHEDQGWKH\·UHPRVW HYHQEHWWHU¬

&UHHGHQFH&OHDUZDWHU/HV'XGHNIURP VRPHWKLQJWRUHDOO\URFNWKLVMRLQW You’re pretty unusual in being so aware of

WKH5ROOLQJ6WRQHVWKH%HDWOHVWKH %ODQGVLQFH,ZDV7KHVHJX\VDUH kinds of jazz and blues musicians came

7%RQH:DONHUDQGPDQ\RWKHUVRQKLV 7H[DV0\GDGDOVRKDG%ODFNZRPHQ you made it?

depth later. Inspired by Eric Clapton,

phrase returns to the blues scale in Ex. 4

UGDVEHIRUH EXWOHW·VEHDGYHQWXURXV 6fr. ^3

3rd strings, the 9th (F# DQGbWK '

pentatonic (E, F#, G#, B, C# <RX·OOQRWLFH

(B, D, E, F#$ ,W·VWKHHTXLYDOHQWRI

approaches to draw from, work on

F EN DER’S INT RO DUC T I ON O F the DQDPSRUHŲHFWRQWKHVFUHHQLW]RRPV a soundhole pickup dialed to focus on